Dawn
by allinoelle
Summary: 100 years after Bella has become a vampire, Renesmee is born and the Volturi challenged, the Cullen's are once again threatened. Their hero is an unlikely saviour...
1. 1 When you step off the path

Naomi Wilson walked through the damp wood, heart pounding. Not with exertion, but with excitement. The air was unusually chilly for mid- September. Then again, maybe it was always this cold in Abbotsford, British Columbia, a town nestled in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Naomi had wandered off the beaten path. She had stepped of the worn trail, flattened by joggers and dog walkers and hikers. She had stepped over fallen branches and crunch fallen leaves beneath her feet. And now she was lost- though she didn't want to admit it to herself- turned around and confused as she marveled at the trees that had turned every shade of fire.

"This is why they make paths." Naomi lectured herself, unhelpfully. She looked around her. She was surrounded by who knows how many acres of forest, who knows how far from home. A flash of yellow caught her eye. It was the wrong height for the yellowed leaves of a tree, too large for a bird.

A "NO TRESSPASSING" sign. _Not exactly welcoming_, Naomi thought. But that sign meant people, people who had a phone, or at least some helpful direction.

She walked to the barbed wire fence and sized it up warily. She looked both ways. The fence extended as far as she could see, which in truth wasn't all that far. The forest was thick. She had never climbed a barbed wire fence before. Granted, it was only waist high, but barbed wire was barbed wire. She squinted at it as she came closer. It looked rusted.

Taking a breath, she placed one hand on a wooden post. It was cold and wet beneath her fingers. _Now what?_ She put a foot gingerly on the wire. It wobbled precariously with her weight. Naomi frowned. It was a lot more unsteady than she thought it would be. Climbing it wouldn't work. She cocked her head to the side. She'd have to vault the damn thing. _What's the worst that could happen?_ She thought. She'd just get a scratch. Or get tetanus, but she'd cross _that_ bridge later.

She backed up a few steps and took a breath. She ran, planning her hand solidly on the post and threw her legs to the side as she swung through the air. She landed, feet first with a thunk. She smiled in triumph, wishing someone had witness her athletic feat.

"Nice jump." A voice said. It came from behind her. Naomi's hear raced and she spun around, breath hitching in her throat. Terror raced through her veins. And all at once she felt calm. She tried to shake it off. She was frightened. She was scared. She felt wrong.

A man, young, late teens was staring at her. He was as pale as moonlight watching her closely. He was muscular; she could see that, wearing just a tee shirt in the cold weather. That wasn't quite right. Her skin prickled. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it added to her fear. His blond hair was lifted by the breeze, and she saw his eyes, fully for the first time. They were yellow. A rich yellow, there was no mistaking it.


	2. 2 Strangers

He noticed the change. He saw her register his odd eyes, his serious, unhurried demeanor.

"What are you?" she whispered. Normal ears would not be able to hear. Perhaps it was a test, but he thought not. More likely it was the whisper of a girl who had just realized her world was not quite what it seemed to be.

"My name is Jasper Cullen." He answered smoothly. Naomi was aware that this was not the answer to her question. It was an affirmation, however, that he was not what he appeared to be. Or maybe he was everything he appeared to be. He waited. Naomi's face was drawn, her eyes grave.

"What do you want?" she asked. This came out more bravely. Her body was caught between panic and calm. She couldn't find words for what she wanted to say.

Jasper sighed heavily. "That's a complicated question, Naomi." Naomi looked at him.

"I didn't tell you my name." she stated slowly.

"I know." Naomi closed her eyes. She fought for control of her body, her emotions. She fought for words. When she opened her eyes, Jasper wasn't alone.

"Jasper, you're scaring the poor girl half to death. Just look how pale she is." A girl stood beside him, slight, petite. Beautiful. Naomi's first thought was that she was a pixie. A wood nymph. Her second thought was, _that was a stupid conclusion_.

"Alice, she was already that pale. You know that." Jasper defended himself.

"She was fair, but at _least_ a shade or two darker." Alice insisted.

"Maybe we should—"

"Of course, you're absolutely right." Alice, short hair ruffling in the wind, turn away from Jasper and focused her eyes on Naomi. The warring emotions inside Naomi were beginning to change. She would not die, that she was nearly certain of.

But she began to hope. A small flame. She could feel excitement, growing. It was like in a story, when you just _knew_ the character was about to stumble upon something that would change her life. She looked to Alice, then to Jasper.

Their skin, their eyes. They were the same odd shades. Their skin was pale, beyond any definition of fair. Their eyes were yellow, like a cat. Yet she had the feeling they weren't siblings. The chemistry was different, the feeling was wrong.

"Are you knew here? I've never seen you before." Alice asked. She seemed to find something funny about the question. A smile flitted across her lips. "I'm Alice, by the way. Alice Cullen."

"Nice to meet you." Naomi answered. _Cullen?_ She refocused on the question. "I just moved here. Three weeks ago."

"But I haven't seen you at school." There was a questioning tone to Alice's musical voice.

"I go to an all girl's school."

"Now Naomi. What were you doing wandering in our woods?" This inquiry had no heavier tone that the others, although to Naomi, it seemed much more to the point.

"I just…stepped off the path. It sometimes gets-" Naomi pressed her lips together. At once the overwhelming urge to explain, to make them understand, controlled her. Alice nodded encouragingly. "I read a lot of books. And the characters, they're so unsuspecting, and they find themselves in this adventure. They enter this amazing, exciting world, and you enter it with them. But eventually the book is over." Naomi said sadly." I was just looking for my own adventure."

Alice beamed. "You've found it!"

Naomi just stared at the pair of beautiful teens, with their pale skin and golden eyes. Their similarity, yet their evident differences.

And now they both looked at her, matching solemn expressions.

Alice spoke. "Naomi, we need your help." Naomi stared at the pair in disbelief.

"You. You need my help? _My_ help?" Naomi snorted and turned away. Calm once again descended upon her.

"Jazz, don't." Alice murmured. The calm disappeared.

"Why do you need my- what are you?" Naomi was outraged. She was shocked. She was excited, scared, skeptical, confused. But she felt the original question had to be answered.

Jasper looked to Alice, and something passed between them. Calm took hold like an iron grip.

"We're vampires."


	3. 3 Not everything is as it appears

Naomi's legs shook, and for a moment, her vision blurred. But rationality took over, and she thought about it. The pale skin, their utter perfection. Agile, quiet. Razor sharp hearing. Yellow eyes, _because_, she supposed, _they could see in the dark_. One thing didn't make sense.

"But it's daylight?" This didn't come out quite how she wanted it to. Jasper and Alice had the grace to over look it.

"Sunlight doesn't harm us." Jasper told Naomi. "There are too many clouds for us to show you what it _does_ do." Alice and Jasper exchanged another look. Then Alice spoke.

"Naomi, here's the thing. We can't tell you any more until you promise to help us. The phrase _'I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you' _would apply here. And you can't say yes until you know more. What we need your help with will be dangerous. I can't say whether any of us will be hurt, whether we'll live. And you'll become one of us." Alice's yellow eyes bored into Naomi's hazel ones. Naomi looked away.

"We're asking the world of you. Literally. You'll have to leave your family, your friends, your life. But what we're offering you is immortality. A chance to never grow old, to see the world change, to see life through a different pair of eyes. For eternity." Jasper said voice heavy and solemn. "Do not make your choice lightly."

Naomi closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. There was no sound but the rustle of wind through dry leaves. The birds had long since fallen silent. This was happening too quickly, she couldn't absorb all the information that was being thrown at her. She would have to leave her family forever? Her family had never been much of a family. She lived with her mom in a small, nondescript house, littered already with empty bottles and used needles. Her father, somewhere thousands of miles away, over mountains and across prairies, fingers stained with nicotine and far worse. What the Cullens were offering was…tempting, to say the least. To be seventeen for eternity. To witness history, maybe change it. And adventure. A life time full of excitement. To never be ordinary. To be powerful and strong and deadly. She opened her eyes. She had made her decision.


	4. 4 The Pledge

"I'll do it. I'll help you." Naomi's voice shook just a little, but her eyes were like steel. Alice broke into a wide, delighted smile.

"Thank you." Alice said sincerely, voice heavy with relief. Jasper nodded deeply. His eyes were troubled. "We should be going. We need to tell the others." Alice muttered something darkly under her breath and Jasper smiled. "Never mind, Edward has taken that liberty. I'll deal with him later."

Naomi stood frozen. "Others?"

"You didn't think we were the only ones, did you?" Alice laughed and held out her hand

"Well actually-" Naomi began. But before Naomi knew what was happening, she was moving. She was on Alice's back, and they were running through the forest. The air stung Naomi's eyes making them water. The world was a blur; they were moving too quickly to focus. She thought she could see Jasper's golden hair, but she couldn't be sure. The panic that had gripped her throat was loosening its hold and adrenalin was taking over. The speed was exhilarating. Breath taking. She began to wonder what would happen if they crashed. Which then made her wonder why they hadn't crashed already. But the air was hard like a fist when Naomi opened her mouth, so she gave up trying to ask questions.

Alice suddenly skidded to a stop. The trees were thinner now, and Naomi could see the stone of an enormous mansion through sparse branches. Before she could blink she was back on her feet. She swayed, and Alice steadied her.

"Oops. Sorry. It's been a while since I've run with a human." Alice apologized.

"It's okay." Naomi breathed. She looked towards the house. Alice followed her gaze.

"I thought you might want to walk in." Alice said. Her voice was slightly higher than her normal pitch, and suddenly Naomi was nervous too. Jasper walked silently out of the forest, making Naomi jump.

"How-" her voice caught. "How many more of you are there?" Naomi asked.

"Ten." Jasper answered. Naomi's eyes widened.

"Ten?" she mouthed. No sound came forth. The blood drained from her face and she said, "This isn't some sort of sacrifice, is it?"

"Please." Alice scoffed and rolled her eyes. Jasper tried not to smile. Jasper and Alice began walking. Naomi was rooted to the spot. If their hearing was as good as she suspected, they could probably hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

Alice and Jasper stopped, and they smiled encouragingly at her. Alice once again held out her hand. Taking sever unsteady steps forward, Naomi took hold. Alice's hand was cold and unsettlingly hard. But comforting none the less. Alice and Naomi, hand in hand, followed Jasper the last one hundred yards to the mansion.


	5. 5 Shell Shock

The house was huge. It had a rustic appearance, the exterior comprise entirely of rough stone. It looked like a castle, although Naomi couldn't be certain. She had never seen a castle before. As they walked up the imposing stone steps, Naomi longed to run and ring the bell and end the suspense. It made her heart beat and her throat tight. She would have, too, just rung the door bell, but her legs were shaking and numb, and she knew she wouldn't make it more than a step before collapsing.

Jasper opened the massive wood door and Alice stepped in, gently pulling Naomi inside with her.

Her first impression was white. White walls, white floors, white furniture. Her second thought was that the inside did not match the outside. Then she registered the people.

She saw him first. He had dark skin, like copper or rust. His hair was coal black and he was huge- larger than the average man. And then she saw the others.

It took a moment to see them individually. She saw pale skin and yellow eyes staring unblinkingly at her. She then saw their collective beauty. Their white glowing skin, their shimmering hair, their utter perfection. There were eight of them, including Alice, Jasper and the native boy. Naomi blinked. The boy with bronze hair nodded to the young man with blond hair. He stepped forward, smiling kindly.

"Naomi, I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen. Welcome." Carlisle held out his hand and Naomi shook it. Alice slid forward and slid Naomi's jacket from her shoulders. "This is my family." He gestured out towards the room of teens. _Like a proud father_, Naomi thought. The boy with bronze hair smirked.

Naomi shook her head, confused. "You aren't old enough." Carlisle laughed.

"I mean family in a looser sense." He explained. "This is Esme, my wife." A woman stepped forward and smiled sympathetically. She had compassionate eyes.

"This must be very confusing for you, Naomi. Just know that we don't mean you any arm." Naomi nodded and attempted a smile.

"This is Edward and Bella Cullen." said Carlisle, continuing with his introduction. Bella, the girl with long dark hair gave a small smile and a wave.

Edward nodded. "A pleasure to meet you." Naomi dipped her head in return.

"And this is Jake and Renesmee Cullen- Black." Carlisle said.

"You can call me Nessie. Everyone does." Nessie said. Edward gave a sigh. Naomi's gaze flickered between Edward and Renesmee.

"Renesmee is Bella and Edward's daughter." Carlisle explained. Naomi blanched.

"Vampires can have kids?" Naomi said in disbelief, then blushed furiously. Edward and Bella seemed to be her age.

"Not exactly." said Carlisle delicately. Naomi blushed again. Jake seemed to find the situation vaguely embarrassing. A slight flush had crept on his high cheek bones.

"I'm Jacob." He introduced himself, perhaps to escape the awkward situation unfolding. Naomi was grateful for it. She shook his hand, and then pulled is back, startled.

"You're warm." She blurted.

"Cool people are warm blooded." He snorted at his own joke.

"They're our favorite half breeds." said the enormous boy with black hair. He nudged Jake, and Jake rolled his eyes. Nessie hissed.

"Half breed?" echoed Naomi.

"I'm a werewolf." Jake stated proudly.

"Wer- werewolf." Naomi stuttered.

"Actually, shape shifter would be the correct term." Edward interjected. "It's just by chance they change into wolves."

"So no full moon, silver bullet stuff?" asked Naomi. If she could deal with vampires, she could deal with werewolves. Shape shifters.

"Not even close." Jacob replied.

"And last but not least," continued Carlisle loudly, "are Rose and Emmett Cullen." Emmett grinned and gave a jaunty wave.

Rose was perhaps the most beautiful person Naomi had ever seen. But her face etched with disgust. Naomi flinched and averted her gaze. Edward glared at Rosalie. Naomi awkwardly tucked her long hair behind her ear.

"Hey, nice scar." Emmett said admiringly. "Where did-" A memory flashed through Naomi's mind. The glint of a sharp blade, low voices, a scream. Her hand flew to her neck, coving the scar.

"Accident." Naomi said, voice shaking. They all stared at her. Edward looked concerned.

Naomi cleared her throat. "Um…Jasper said there were ten of you?"

There was silence until Jake finally said, "Yeah. Leah and Seth Clearwater. They're my pack. They're running the perimeter. We can't be too careful."

"There's three of you?" Naomi said, surprised. Weren't there supposed to be more wolves in a wolf pack?

Pain flashed across Jacob's face. "There were more. But once they imprinted, they chose to stop phasing. They grew old and died." Naomi took a moment to absorb this. _Imprinting was like falling in love_, she supposed. _And phasing…changing into a wolf_. Edward nodded. Naomi looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm so sorry." She told Jake sincerely. It clearly hurt him to talk about them.

"It's okay. We're the only ones in B.C. as far as we know. Sam-" Jacob stopped and corrected himself. "_Jason_ Uley's pack still protects La Push." Naomi nodded like she knew what he meant.

Edward took it upon himself to explain. "About a hundred years ago, we fought with the La Push pack. We planned to turn Bella into one of us, which would violate the ancient treaty we had made. Then Bella became pregnant with Nessie and things became…complicated. Jacob claimed his position as alpha and separated from the pack. Seth, Leah, and eventually Quil and Embry, followed. They created the Forks wolf pack."

"So Leah and Seth haven't imprinted?" asked Naomi curiously.

Jake shook his head. "We don't know why we imprint. There are theories, but…"

"Nothing solid." finished Edward.

"But this isn't why we asked you here." Carlisle said seriously. Tension immediately fell over the group. Conversation ceased. "Naomi, we have told you about us. You know our secret. You know our names, our recent history. You have agreed to help us, and for that, we owe you our lives. You are still able to back out, if you choose, but just know that that choice would make things very complicated. I'm not saying this to frighten you," Carlisle assured, "but you should know the gravity of what you are getting in to. What we are planning is dangerous. Our lives will be in danger."

Naomi swallowed. "I won't back out. I know there's danger involved, and I'm willing to risk that. Not for immortality," Naomi said, contempt flashing across her face, "but who doesn't want something more than average? To start a new life? And you guys seem like nice people." Naomi said smiling wanly. "Whatever you have to do, I'll help." Naomi looked around the room into each pair of yellow eyes, and Jake's black ones.

Edward looked at her and said, "She's telling the truth, Carlisle. She's certain."

"Do you think we would do this if there was another way? It's the _only way_. We need her." Alice said, her voice almost pleading.

"I know." replied Carlisle heavily. "I trust you, and I trust that we're making the right decision. Know, Naomi, that we aren't using your talents and then leaving you homeless. We would like you to remain part of our family, should you choose to stay with us." All eyes were trained on Naomi, who shifted nervously.

"I would love that. Thank you." Naomi smiled a small, warm smile. Alice clapped her hands together joyfully.

Bella smile. "Welcome to the family."


	6. 6 Confessions

"What could nine vampires and three werewolves possibly need _me_ for?" Naomi asked. She was skeptical. It still felt surreal and dreamlike. Like she was sleeping and having the most vivid dream she had experienced. She casually pinched herself. No, she was awake. And judging by at least four expressions, she had been spotted.

"It feels like that at first." Bella murmured sympathetically.

The Cullen's exchanged looks.

"It's not what we need from you _now_." explained Alice haltingly. "It's what you'll be able to do after you've changed."

"You mean into a vampire?" Naomi asked. Everyone nodded. "I don't understand. Can't you all do exactly the same thing? You're fast, strong, have excellent hearing, excellent eye sight…" Naomi trailed off.

"Some vampires have special talents. Extras." Emmett explained. Rosalie perched on the back of a pristine white couch looking entirely bored by the conversation.

"I can see the future." Alice chimed.

"I can read minds." offered Edward.

"I can project pictures into people's minds. Show them my thoughts." Nessie expanded.

Bella said, "I can shield people's minds. Protect them from attack."

"How do you attack- never mind." Naomi shook her head. She would find out in due time.

"And I can control people's emotions." Jasper finished. Suddenly everything fell into place. The extreme calm, Alice's subtle remark about Edward, Edward's response to her mental musings.

"Does the ability to change into an animal count? I think it should count." joked Jake.

"We've been _over_ this." Nessie said with mock exasperation. "It doesn't count."

"What we need, Naomi, is what you'll be able to do." Edward said seriously.

Naomi turned to Alice and said, "You can't see it?" Alice shook her head.

"Trust me, I've been trying. I thought once you had firmly settled on the decision to become a vampire, it would solidify." Alice said, frustrated.

"You saw me coming?" asked Naomi, awed.

"I saw someone coming. But not until four weeks ago, when you decided to move." explain Alice. "Do you think we spend all day standing in the forest? Why did you choose to move? I only saw that youmade the choice, not the reasons surrounding it." Naomi tried very hard to think of something else. She was now acutely aware of Edward's ability. He looked casual, with his arm wrapped around Bella's waist, but he was standing slightly too still. Like he was trying too hard to read.

"Family reasons." Naomi said breezily. Edward and Alice exchanged glances.

"Sorry, but do you have a washroom?" Naomi asked apologetically. Esme looked horrified.

"Of course, I'm so sorry. Let me show you-" Esme began.

"It's alright, Esme. Why don't you and the others start making lunch for Naomi?" Edward glanced outside. "It's rather late for lunch, admittedly, but better late than never. I'll show her when the washroom is." Esme, flustered she had forgotten two human needs in one afternoon, began delegating tasks.

"I could use some lunch too." Jacob said, stretching.

"If you want to eat, you've got to help make it." Bella said, shepherding him into the kitchen. Carlisle was the last to go, giving Edward a scrutinizing look before following Nessie out of sight. Naomi was left alone with Edward.

"Follow me." Edward walked up the curving staircase. "I didn't formally introduce myself. Edward Cullen. Formerly Edward Mason. I didn't catch your last name."

_Quinn_, she thought. "Wilson." _Damnit. _She walked silently, cursing herself. The second floor was large and spacious. Naomi pretended to admire it for a moment. Under other circumstances, she would have been impressed. The tension was palpable. Edward looked untroubled, watching her with his falcon eyes.

"I first saw something when Emmett asked about your scar." Edward said, nodding to the mark that slashed across her throat. "And then again when I asked about your name." There was more silence. Edward was waiting for Naomi to fill in the blanks. She remain silent. "Naomi, I know something happened. I saw the knife. Is that how you got that scar?"

"What do you want me to say?" Naomi hissed. "That one night I was walking home and I was dragged into an alley by four boys? That I knew my neighbourhood was dangerous, but it was a Tuesday, so I thought I'd be safe? Is that what you want, Edward? They held a knife to my neck and said that if I tried to scream, they would cut me. I thought they were bluffing. It turns out they weren't, and I can look at this mark every day and remember _exactly_ what they did to me." Edward's eyes were wide with horror and his lips were pressed tightly together.

"Where are they now?" he asked quietly.

Naomi took a ragged breath. "I took them to court. They were part of a gang, so I thought they would be easier to convict. They weren't. They got off, and we moved. We changed our last name and moved as far away as possible."

_The court room was buzzing with anticipation. The camera's started up with a whir, and tape recorders were being clicked on. Naomi sat tall with her back pressed to the uncomfortable court room chair. They sat only a few feet away. Naomi could swear she could feel their body heat caressing her. She kept her eyes straight ahead. A jury member brought a paper up to the judge, who read it and handed it back. Naomi's vision wavered with every beat of her heart. She could hear it echoing in her head. _

_The jury member opened his mouth, and all that registered was _'not guilty'. _Over and over. Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty, until it became too much to bear. They were being acquitted. A scream built in her throat and she struggled to repress it. She breath came in small gasps until she could no longer see. She could no longer think clearly. _"They're going to kill me!" _she screamed, voice harsh like the edge of a knife. And for the first time, she looked at them, and their eyes glinted with malice. With plans of revenge. _

Naomi sunk to the floor and held her head in her hands. She was too tired, too exhausted to hold it up. She couldn't shut her eyes. She saw the scene replaying in her head, of that night where her life had changed.

Edward took her elbows and lifted her to her feet.

"When you become a vampire, it's very difficult to remember human memories. That isn't consolation, but maybe it will give you a little bit of hope." he said gently. She nodded, eyes deep with sorrow. She stepped into the bathroom and splashed her face with water.

Turning to Edward, she said, "Okay. I'm okay." Together they walked back down the staircase and into the kitchen.


	7. 7 We didn't plan for this

No one in the kitchen showed any indication of having heard Naomi's confession when Edward and Naomi walked in.

"Why don't you go and get Seth and Leah. They may want some lunch, too." Esme was saying to Jake.

"Sure." Jake ripped off his shirt and torn off his shorts.

Naomi's eyes widened in bewilderment and Bella said, "Unless you want to see more of him then you'd like to, I'd turn around." Naomi spun quickly.

"What's he doing?" she asked.

"When he phases, his clothes rip. Not that it's that big of a deal to get new ones, but he would go through a _lot_ of clothes." explain Nessie. Naomi nodded. It made sense.

"I hope our new arrival doesn't piss of Leah." Emmett said, jerking his head at Naomi. She frowned. "It took her almost 25 years to eat with us. And ten more to sleep in the house." Emmet elaborated.

"What was she doing until then?" Naomi asked.

"Living a very uncomfortable life style." Edward said with a smirk. Carlisle smiled ruefully. Whatever was in the pan sizzled and a delicious smell wafted towards Naomi. Chicken. Bella grabbed plates out of a cupboard.

"Naomi, could you get some cutlery? In that drawer on your left." Naomi took four sets of cutlery. Bella laid out placemats on the island counter. Emse doled out lunch and Renesmee heaped salad onto the plates.

Naomi took hers. "Thanks." She sat at one of the high chairs.

"Here come the dogs. Brace yourself." Emmett said.

"Brace yourself?" Naomi repeated.

"They reek." he replied.

"They'll smell fine to you." Nessie assured her. "They just smell to vampires." The back door was thrown open, and a girl came in, black hair dripping with water. _Leah_. It had begun to rain. Naomi inhaled deeply, but all she smelled was a strong woodland scent. It made her think of musk and fog. It was nice. Behind Leah walked Jacob and Seth. Jacob came in first. Seth looked up and met Naomi's was more than words. More than her body could hold. Her vision blurred and she could no longer hear the conversation that buzzed around her. She didn't care that her world had flipped upside down because she was standing here looking at him.

"Oh no." said Edward.


	8. 8 This Complicates Things

"Oh no." said Edward. "Oh no. This can't be happening."

"Edward, what is it?" Bella said frantically. She peered into his eyes. Jacob was staring at Seth, mouth open with shock.

"He's imprinted on her." he said incredulously. "I don't believe it." There was a hiss. Leah narrowed her and stared at her brother, who was still standing in the rain.

"No. Oh no. No no no _no_ no no." Leah said angrily. She stepped towards Seth, but Nessie grabbed her am.

"Wait. Just wait." she murmured. Jake and Edward walked slowly towards Seth, speaking too quietly for Naomi to hear. She dazedly reached out a hand. Edward shut the door behind them.

"But-" they heard. There was a snarl and a tearing sound. Another tearing sound, followed by a growl and a hiss. Naomi was horrified.

She looked at Carlisle. "They're fine." he said reassuringly.

Naomi tried to speak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What on _earth_ just happened?"

"Why don't we go to the living room and discuss this?" Carlisle suggested. Naomi nodded. Alice slipped her arm through Naomi's and helped her sit on a soft white couch. Nessie handed Naomi her plate, but Naomi had no appetite. She set the plate on the table. Leah leaned against the doorframe, scowling darkly.

"Jacob mentioned, in passing, imprinting. Do you remember?" asked Carlisle.

Naomi nodded. "The rest of the pack grew old with the one they imprinted on. But Seth and Leah haven't imprinted." There was a growl from the doorway. Alice glared at Leah.

"It's completely involuntary. They have absolutely no control over it." explained Carlisle.

"And are you saying he imprinted on _me_?" Naomi croaked. The vampires nodded. "Oh."She slumped against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

"It's very, very powerful." Alice began.

"Alice- please let's not talk about this." Bella pleaded. Rosalie rolled her eyes and sighed. Nessie looked, well, she looked mad if Naomi had to put a name to it.

"She should know. She's part of the family now. If helping us wasn't enough, she's tied to Seth now. There's no changing that." Alice argued. "Look Naomi, Jacob used to be in love with Bella." Naomi froze. If Bella could blush, she would have been fire engine red.

"Oh. Um…That's- er." Naomi said offhandedly.

"Once he saw Nessie, that feeling for Bella went away. Now he loves her just like the rest of us do." Alice said it, matter of fact. "We're much better off. Edward and Jake are the best of friends, not ready to kill each other." _Well_, thought Naomi_, this is uncomfortable. _

"The point is, Naomi," Bella said, "is that imprinting is very powerful."

"But what about me. Why do I feel… like this?" Naomi said awkwardly.

"But what about you?" Alice finished with a smile. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I'm certain that it happens all the time." She replied with a wan smile. Emmett snorted.

"Well, it's happened." Alice said cheerfully. Naomi stared into space and thought. _Love_. It had an odd ring to it, when applied to her. Love. It felt wrong, like a shoe too small. But when combined with _imprint_, it fit like a favorite sweater. Those two words felt big enough to encompass her emotions.

"Well what happens now?" Naomi said, somewhat desperately.

"I guess that's up to you, isn't it?" Bella said.


	9. Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?

It was not long before Alice announced, "They're back." Naomi's stomach jumped with trepidation. She could hear the back door open, then shut, and a split second later Jacob and Edward were with them in the living room. Edward appeared by Bella's side, bronze hair dark with rain. He wrapped his arm around Bella and kissed her forehead. Naomi looked at Jacob, who was unabashedly kissing Renesmee long and hard on the lips. She remembered the story Alice told her, of Jake and Edward being enemies. It was hard to picture, especially when they exchanged a conspiratorial look. She admired Bella and Edward's tolerance. She wasn't sure she would be this calm if she saw her daughter kissing a boy. Especially a boy with whom she much animosity.

"It has taken some getting used to." Edward admitted.

"So where's Seth?" she asked casually. She must have done a downright horrible job at being nonchalant, because everyone quickly hid smirks behind icy hands.

"He's waiting for you, if you'd like to talk. In private." Jake added. "He's in the kitchen." Naomi closed her eyes. She was surprised her organs were still working. It felt like a tornado had taken root inside her. She opened her eyes and nodded quickly. She stepped towards the door, but was stopped as Alice flew and hugged her. It was like walking into a freezer.

"I'm just so proud of you!" Alice trilled.

"Alice!" Bella protested. "You're embarrassing her!" Bella took her sister's hand

"She's blushing." Emmett cooed. "Remember when you did that?" he asked Bella wistfully. "It was so _fun_ to make fun of you."

"Thank god _that's_ over." Bella said with a roll of her eyes. "Now _go._" She ushered Naomi towards the door. "Poor Seth is probably dying in there." Leah muttered something that sounded like "poor Seth my ass" which was met by glares from the girls and a high five from Emmett.

Alice zipped over and handed Naomi her jacket. "You're going to need it." she confided in a whisper.

Naomi walked towards the kitchen and pushed open the door. She could do this. Seth was leaning against the island, black shirt still wet with rain. She looked into his black eyes, and all her fear, anxiety and apprehension fell away. It was like home, like everything finally clicked together. Like seeing your best friend, you were finally whole. She searched for something to say, but his wilderness smell made her dizzy. She took a leaf from Edward's book.

"Hi, I'm Naomi. I don't think we've been formally introduced."


	10. Finding Home

Seth shook her outstretched hand. It was warm, like wrapping your hand around a warm mug of tea.

"I'm Seth. Seth Clearwater." His eyes were locked to hers, and he had to blink to remember his intention. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I'd love to." she blushed. The rain had stopped, and the sun was just setting over the trees. It wasn't a humid rain, not at this time of year, and Naomi missed the warm damp smell.

It was natural for them to hold hands. It felt right. The silence was swollen between them, like they had so much to say, but couldn't find the words to say it.

"How old are you?" asked Seth. Naomi was pleased he had started off with that question. It was easy.

"Seventeen. How old are you?"

"One hundred and thirty- seven." he replied quickly, then winced. _"_I'm sorry. I didn't want to say it like that. It's part of the whole imprinting thing. I can't help but tell you." Naomi gaped.

"All that history…" she shook her head. "I wish I could have seen it all. You were alive for the Green Revolution?"

Seth nodded. "They make it seem a lot more exciting in the history books." he confided. It came effortless after that, speech, and words. The spilled forth. Neither Seth nor Naomi could ask enough questions, drinking up answers and information like a person dying of thirst. Naomi wanted to hear every detail, to know every detail about his life for the past century. Just as badly, Seth wanted to know every minuscule aspect of Naomi's life before she had taken over his.

He talked about his dad. He pain of losing him at fifteen. It was shortly after that he discovered he and his sister were werewolves. It had taken his mom a long time to accept that he and Leah were not quite human.

"She had Charlie Swan though. That made it easier." Seth said.

Naomi frowned. "Who's Charlie Swan?"

Seth's mouth dropped open. "Of course. You don't know Bella as anyone other than Bella Cullen. But before she married Edward, she was Bella Swan. Her dad married my mom, you know."

It was Naomi's turn to be surprised. "So Bella's your step sister?"

"All the Cullens are like my brothers and sisters. Even Rose." Seth shrugged. "At the time it was weird. But we're family either way. But enough about my family. Tell me about yours."

Naomi pressed her lips together. "My dad is an alcoholic. He lived with us on and off. When he did live with us, he and my mom fought. They screamed at each other and it was violent. He could never hold down a job, because he was always drunk. Whatever he made went to alcohol. My parents never married. He's somewhere in Ontario now." She paused, but wasn't finished. "My mom is a druggie. Pot, hash, crack, crystal meth. She really isn't picky about it. Sometimes, when I was little, she'd smoke pot and I'd get high from the smoke. I was seven before I knew enough to get outside." She smiled harshly. "That's why I'm willing to give it all up." Seth stroked her hair. Sometimes words were useless. He shifted topic easily, drawing shocked laughs and gasps from Naomi with stories of living with the Cullens.

Growing in Naomi's chest though, was a weight. That weight was information, was the need to tell. She felt she owed it to him- and she did- to tell him what had happened to her. But it was more than the obligation to tell, it was the desire to, so that he could understand her that much more. Because like it or not, that was part of her life, and it always would be. Seth could see her troubled eyes, and so he let the conversation die.

She hesitated, then said, "Seth, I'm telling you this because I want to and because I think you need to know." She faltered. "Six months ago I was raped by four members of the Crips. I was walking through a dangerous neighbourhood in Toronto late one night, and they jumped me. I called the police, afterwards, and I took them to court. But each of them swore that they hadn't been in the alley, let alone that neighbourhood. No eye witnesses, at least no one who would talk." Naomi smiled bitterly. "They got off. Insufficient evidence. My name isn't Naomi Wilson, it's Naomi Quinn, and I moved here so that the Crips couldn't find me and kill me for disrespecting their name." Naomi shook her head, smiling sadly. Rage raced through Seth's veins, and he swore silent promises of death at the men who had hurt her so deeply.

"Naomi." Seth stopped walking and placed his hand on her arms, turning so that she couldn't help but look at him. He pushed her mahogany hair back from her face and ran his hands over her cheekbones, cupping her face. "You don't ever, _ever_ have to worry about them again. I will not let anyone hurt you for as long as you live. I can understand fully if you don't want any sort of relationship with me. But I can be more than that. I can be your guardian, your best friend." It hurt him to say it, she could see that. She could feel his pain mimicked on her face. "I'm willing to wait a hundred, a thousand years. I'll always be there if you need me."

"No. No-" her breath hitched. "I don't want you to leave. I need you here with me. I don't understand it, but when I'm with you, the rest of it doesn't matter. I feel like part of me has been missing, and I've found it. For the first time in such a long, _long_ time I feel happy." she paused, and looked up at Seth, her eyes full of emotion. "I can't imagine my life without you."

Seth wrapped his bare arms around Naomi's slim frame and pulled her close. She listened to his heart beating, strong and steady. She was right- she was home.


	11. Plan

Seth and Naomi lay on the ground, staring at the stars. She sky was clear for once over the mountains, and they sat, picturesque, against the skies canvas. Naomi rested her head on Seth's chest, her body pressed down the side of his. Seth could her hear heart beat slowing.

"Come on. Let's get you home." whispered Seth.

"No!" Naomi protested sleepily. "I want this moment to last forever. Let's stay just a little bit longer."

"If that's what you want." Seth agreed easily. As long as it was what she wanted, he would stay. He trailed his fingers absentmindedly over the planes of her face, frowning to himself at the dark circles he could see there. Moments later, Naomi was asleep, and he stood effortlessly with Naomi safely in his arms. In her sleep, she rested her hand against his chest.

The back door was open when he arrived home. He listened and followed the voices to the living room. The Cullens were deep in discussion that broke off instantly when he entered the room. Esme had a joyful smile on her face as she took in Seth and Naomi's sleeping form. Alice was sitting on the couch, playing distractedly with Bella's hair, who sat on the floor at Alice's feet. Jasper slid closer to Alice to make room for Seth and Naomi.

"Did anyone call her house?" he asked.

Alice's excited expression turned to one of disgust. "No one will miss her." There were hisses of hatred. Seth sat carefully on the couch, breathing rhythmically to control his anger. He fixed his dark eyes on the Cullens.

"Don't make her go back there." Seth said, his voice serious and heavy. Carlisle and Alice exchanged looks. "I won't let her go back." he insisted. There was a touch of defiance in his voice. He would do whatever it took to protect Naomi from the hell hole she called home.

"We'll call both schools in the morning. I'm not sure whether she'll protest to switching-" Carlisle began.

"She'll be ecstatic." said Alice, pleased.

"Good. She'll be with you all day." Carlisle said, addressing the group. "You should try and fill her in whenever you have an opportunity. Tell her about our world, the rules, the life she'll live." They nodded collectively. Carlisle sighed.

"I don't like this." he said quietly. "We are transforming her for our use. Is there no other way?" he asked Alice. She shook her head.

"Carlisle, I've searched. If there were another way, I would have seen it." She paused. "At some point, you have to accept that this might be fate. I pulled her medical files. She can't have children." Her eyes snapped to Seth. "Her family, if you can even call it that, is neglectful at best and dangerous at worst. Either parent could kill her. And she has a past that she would dearly love to forget."

"We're saving her." Seth said firmly.

"I just cannot imagine a power that will save us from death at the hands of the Volturi." Carlisle said. He wasn't arguing, simply wondering the extent of the power the sleeping girl held.

"Maybe it's not particularly strong or lethal," Edward suggested. "But when combined with our other strengths, we become unbeatable."

"I wish I could see." Alice said with frustrated. "I see all of us there, the Denali clan, the Irish coven, Ben and the Egypt-" Alice frowned.

Edward zeroed in on Naomi. "Seth, wake her up." It was a mark of the strength of their friendship that Seth did not question Edward's order.

"Naomi." He said, gently but firmly. He stroked her face. "Naomi, wake up." She shot up with a gasp, her eyes wide with terror. "It's okay." He whispered, rubbing her back in circles. She took a few gulps of air. Twelve pairs of eyes watched her.

"I'm okay." She assured them, still short of breath. They could hear her heart beating rapidly. Alice stood and held out her hand.

"Let's find you some pajamas. You're staying with us tonight."

"'Kay." Naomi said with a yawn. Alice led her up the stairs and out of sight. Seth slumped against the couch and rubbed his hands over his face. In the blink of an eye, Edward was beside him.

"Don't worry, Seth." he said. "Everything will be alright in the end."

"But seriously man," Emmett said with a laugh. "You could _not _have imprinted on a more complicated girl." Edward, Jacob and Seth glared at Emmett. In a flash, Bella stood and cuffed him upside the head and sat down again.

"I think you should change her."Seth said, ignoring Emmett. "Soon."


	12. Details

While Naomi and Alice were searching for sleepwear, the others were making plans.

"Bella, you should spend time with her. Prepare her mentally for the transformation." Carlisle said. "Edward, I think we should use your venom." Edward was unsurprised.

"Why?" Jake asked curiously.

"We don't know very much about the transformation process." Edward answered. "Maybe it was Bella's preparedness that made it so easy for her to become one of us. But then again, maybe certain venom makes the transformation easier." Everyone turned towards the stairs as they creaked. Naomi was rubbing her eyes blearily, wearing a pair of boxer shorts and a large t-shirt. Seth recognized it has his.

"It smells like you." Edward murmured, then stood and offered Naomi his seat. She smiled and climbed onto the couch, curling up in Seth's outstretched arms. She was wide awake, and was having trouble believing that the last eighteen hours hadn't been a dream.

Carlisle hesitated, and Edward nodded. Carlisle spoke. "Naomi, we haven't told you why we need your talent." He hesitated again. "We need your help to fight the Volturi." Naomi felt Seth's arms tighten around her.

"The Volturi?" Naomi tested the word. "What are the Volturi?"

It was Jasper who answered. "They're like our government. But more like royalty. Thousands of years ago they came into power. They fought the Romanians, and won."

"They live in Volterra, Italy." Alice continued. "They are the largest coven, but we are the largest family."

"The Volturi are led by Marcus, Caius and Aro, although Aro is the real leader." Bella said, a small shudder running through her.

"They've wanted us for a long time, Naomi." Edward said, his voice tight with anger. "They want us for our power. They want someone who can see the future." He nodded to Alice. "Someone who can protect the mind from attack." He leaned his head against Bella, face etched with pain.

"Someone who can read minds." Bella whispered.

"Oh my god." mouthed Naomi, unable to speak. She pictured the ferocious and desperate expressions of the Cullens trying to protect their loved ones. The snarls and roars as they fought.

"They came for us once before." Emmett told Naomi. "For Nessie. She looked like an immortal child. Our alliance with the werewolves, our witnesses and Bella's shield saved us."

"This time, we're coming for them." Edward said fiercely. "Alice saw that they would come for us. They tried to hide their plans from her, but there was a mistake, and we saw. This time, they will not back down. Some of them will die, but some of us will die too. But whatever power you have will change everything."

"Edward." Bella protested quietly.

"No, it's okay." Naomi said, taking a calming breath. "I want to know. I _need _to know."

"We're going to have to change you as soon as possible." Carlisle said, his voice apologetic. "You need to get…acclimatized to our lifestyle."

"It's called newborn craze." Jasper said. His golden eyes were burning. "All you can think about is blood. Human blood, not animal. It's incredibly difficult to control. It can take decades." He paused. "We don't have decades."

"How long _do_ we have?" asked Naomi

"Maybe five years." answered Alice. "They're trying to change their plans, not make decisions until the last possible moment."

"Bella's going to help you to prepare mentally. She is the only known case of a newborn skipping that phase." Edward looked proudly at Bella. "And we're going to use my venom. We're unsure of whether the change was so easy because Bella was prepared, or because my venom makes it easier." Naomi nodded, but she felt light headed. The room swirled. She was talking calmly with eight vampires, three werewolves and a half- vampire about becoming an immortal creature, who, by all means, should be blood thirsty and ferocious. How bizarre. She stifled a mad laugh. Edward raised a brow at her.

"That sounds like a solid plan." Naomi said, getting her hysteria under control. She stifled a yawn. "Don't you guys ever sleep?"

"No." answered Bella. Naomi froze.

"I was kidding…"

"Werewolves sleep." Nessie interjected. She looked a little smug.

"That doesn't count." protested Jacob. "It's in my nature."

"And it's in my nature to be awesomer than werewolves." Nessie said primly. Emmett and Nessie high fived. There were playful growls from the wolves.

"Kids." Emse remonstrated. They fell silent.

"This is where it gets complicated." Alice informed Naomi. "Well, more complicated. We can't simply turn you into a vampire and continue life here as though nothing happened. There's a substantial physical transformation as well as a mental one." Naomi could see the problem. One day she would appear at school as a normal girl- relatively normal- bumbling and with a beating heart. The next day she would be an ethereal immortal, perfection incarnate. Then of course there was the bloodlust.

"We need you to die. Or disappear. Just stage it, of course." Alice added when Naomi's brow furrowed with confusion. "We were discussing suicide because of your recent-" Alice eyes suddenly unfocused.

"Suicide won't work." Edward and Alice said in unison. Their frustration was apparent. There was a collective look of bewilderment upon the vampires and werewolves faces.

"They would make her a poster child for rape awareness." Edward elaborated. Naomi paled.

"How does everyone-?" Naomi's voice broke.

"Secrets don't stay secrets here for very long." Bella said gently.

"We have very good hearing." Edward said with a cheerless smile.

"Plus we have Edward and Alice." Emmett added, rolling his eyes. Rosalie stared at Naomi, her yellow eyes were icy, but not quite as impassive as before. Naomi was possibly more frightened of her than ever.

"No it's, okay. Some things shouldn't stay secrets."Naomi said with a small shrug. "So if staging suicide will be ineffective, what else can we do?"

"You know yourself best." Alice replied. "What are some of your every day habits that could potentially be twisted into something deadly?"

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Well that wasn't specific at all." she said dryly.

"We're thinking about this too hard. How did she get here?" Seth answered his own question. "She left the path and walked through the forest."

"Of course." Alice breathed. "That will work. Thousands of experienced hikers go missing every year when they get lost in the wilderness. A distraught teenager new to the area isn't unlikely."

"When are we staging her disappearance for?" Seth asked.

"We need at least one week." Carlisle said.


	13. Night

"We're going to be spending a _lot_ of time together." Bella said with a smile. Alice had twisted her hair into a complex looking Grecian bun.

"Speaking of which, how opposed would you be to switching schools?" Edward asked.

"I'd go to school with you guys?" Naomi asked excitedly. They nodded. "I'd love to!"

"I'll take care of that." said Esme.

"This week we'll tell you everything you need to know about joining our world. There's quite a lot to remember, which is why we'll be making use of every free moment at school." Edward said.

"The really important stuff will come after, when we only have to tell you once." Alice continued.

"Vampires have perfect recall." explained Bella. _Oh_.

"Wait." Naomi's brow furrowed. "How do you pull that off?"

"What off?" asked Bella.

"Going to school together. I mean, you're all the same age and you're very clearly dating." Naomi said, nodding her head to Edward and Bella, Bella leaning back between Edward's legs. Jasper and Alice were snuggled tightly together on the couch. "Not to mention the wedding bands."

"We say they are promise rings. Not that anyone dares to ask." Emmett said with a frightening grin. Naomi's heart quickened at the smile, and she could see why someone would be opposed to questioning any of the Cullens.

"And who are the wolves to you?" Naomi asked.

Alice slapped her hand to her head. "I forgot how much we still need to tell you! Okay, here it goes. Ready?" Naomi nodded and straightened up.

"Rose, Emmett, Jake and Nessie are in the twelfth grade. And that's pushing it." she said, eyeing her family. "Edward, Bella, Seth, Jasper, myself, and now you, are in the eleventh grade."

"That's easy enough to remember." Naomi said agreeably.

"That's the easy part. Rose and Jasper are siblings. Rosalie Hale and Jasper Hale. Edward and Nessie are siblings too." There was a sigh from Edward. He was obviously not okay with this arrangement.

"Edward, we can't help that your half- vampire daughter is physically older than you." Alice retorted. "_Anyway_. Rose and Jasper Hale, Edward and Nessie Cullen. Leah and Seth are twins, and Jacob is their older brother." There was a growl from Leah. Clearly _she_ didn't agree with the arrangement either.

"Children! We can discuss a better plan for our next school." said Alice with a strained tone. "The Clearwater's are family friends. Their parents are doing aid work in Africa."

"You use your last name?" Naomi addressed Seth, twisting to see him.

"We rock- paper- scissored. Werewolf style." Seth replied. "I won." He was slightly smug.

"You won _this_ time." Jacob smiled sinisterly.

"As for the rest of us, Carlisle and Esme are our adoptive parents. Carlisle works as a doctor in the hospital, and Esme does a lot of volunteer work." Alice continued as though there had been no interruptions.

"It makes us look good." Emmett said half jokingly.

The Cullens and werewolves continued to plan, and in Seth's warm arms, Naomi once again fell asleep. Seth heard her heartbeat slow. She seemed comfortable enough, and her pale cheeks had a slight flush from the heat. Alice saw him watching her, awe apparent on his face.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Alice remarked. Seth pushed her hair back from her face where it had fallen.

"Beautiful." Seth agreed at once.

"She looks like one of us." Alice commented lightly, but there was a troubled undertone in her voice. Seth looked at the unnatural paleness of her skin and the purple half moons beneath her eyes. By now both vampires and werewolves were looking at the sleeping form of their saviour lying sleeping. They would all feel much more at ease when she was immortal and impermeable. Less fragile. There was silence, except for the sound of cards. Rosalie and Emmett played a card game they had invented which combined three decks and excessively complex rules.

"I'm going to take her to bed." Seth said softly. There was a small 'hem' from Esme, and Seth looked at her questioningly. She hesitated.

"Relax, Mum." Edward said with a laugh. "Did you worry this much when I met Bella? I didn't hear anything."

"You weren't around here very much." Esme replied. She raised her eyebrows at her son.

"What a blessing _that_ was." muttered Rosalie. Edward glared at her.

"Seth is older than I was." he reminded Esme. She was still concerned. "Come on, Seth." Edward kissed Bella, and then led the way up the stairs to Seth's room on the third floor. Edward closed the door behind them. Seth laid Naomi gently onto the bed. The sheets were already tucked down- Alice. The stone walls and closed door gave the illusion of privacy, but Seth and Edward could hear clearly every word spoken two floors below. The surprisingly cloudless sky revealed a spectacular view of the stars and moon. The large room was illuminated by the night sky.

Seth couldn't take his eyes off Naomi. He traced his fingers over her soft skin. She smiled peacefully in her sleep.

"She loves you, you know." Edward told him quietly. "What she feels for you may not be quite as binding as what you feel for her, but it is no less strong."

"I can't believe it." Seth struggled for words. "She _changed_ me, Edward. The moment I looked at her, something happened. She's all I can think about, every moment- keeping her safe, keeping her happy. I can't image how I've lived without her all this time. It hurts when I try."

"I'm happy for you." Edward smiled. He then turned serious. "Emmett wasn't entirely wrong when he said you've imprinted on the most complicated girl in the world. Esme was concerned about moving too quickly." Seth stared at Edward for a moment before he understood. He was horrified.

"Edward, you of all people know that imprinting isn't about the physical aspect of a relationship." Seth hissed.

Edward held his hands up in surrender. "I know, trust me, I know. But I promised Esme I would mention it, and she'll sleep more soundly." Edward smiled wryly. "Figuratively speaking, of course." Naomi shifted in her sleep, and Edward moved towards the door.

"Fill me in?" Seth asked. Edward nodded.

"See you in the morning." Then Edward was gone, and the door was firmly shut. Seth walked quietly towards the couch.

"Seth?" Naomi's voice was laced with fear. He was by her side in a flash. Her hazel eyes were wide in the poor light.

"I'm right here, sweetheart." he murmured. He reached for her outstretched hand.

"I thought you had gone. I thought this was all a dream." Seth had a hard time accepting reality also.

"No, it's real. All of it is real." He whispered.

"Can you stay?"

Her request both shattered and healed his heart. "Of course. Of course I'll stay." And so they slept, Seth curled protectively around Naomi, throughout the night.


	14. Extreme Makeover

The Cullen house was bustling. Of course, when a house is full of people who never sleep, it's always bustling.

Sunlight threatened to break through the thin cloud overage, and cool light spilled onto the bed. Naomi had the comforter wrapped around her and was sitting cross legged on the bed listening to Seth's story. The house was chilly. None of the immortals were affected by a change in temperature, even the drastic shift from summer to fall.

"So Edward attacks Victoria and-" Seth paused and cocked his head. "Do you want me to barricade the door?"

"Why?" asked Naomi, perturbed.

"Bella, Alice and something about clothes." Seth sounded amused. "You have five seconds."

A shriek ripped through the house. "_Bella!_"

"Ha!" shouted Bella. The bedroom door burst open making Naomi jump. "Morning, let's go."

"Go where? Hey!" Naomi protested as Bella lifted her off the bed and charged down the hallway. Edward sauntered up the stairs with an amused smile on his face.

"Good morning Seth."

"Morning." Seth replied.

"Edward, Seth, don't let Alice in." Bella called from her bedroom. Seth and Edward rolled their eyes at each other.

"Alice is coming. I want to see how this is going to turn out." Edward muttered to Seth. Seth laughed, and the pair positioned themselves like body guards outside of Edward and Bella's room.

"Now Naomi. I realize that this was abrupt," began Bella seriously. "but you don't strike me as a fussy kind of girl. Alice has a tendency to…over do it. So consider this a rescue." Bella flew to the closet and returned in front of Naomi a second later holding a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"_Bella!_" Alice yelled from the hall. "You know I live for this. How often do I get to I get to play dress up?"

"About once every two months." retorted Bella.

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Don't listen to her." Bella cautioned Naomi. "She's very persuasive."

"I'm not opposed to force." Alice said her voice dangerous and sweet.

"I'm sure our boys can handle it." Bella said with a laugh. There were two solid thunks, followed by moaning. Naomi and Bella were horrified. The door flew open and Alice walked in, grinning triumphantly. They peered around Alice to get a glimpse of Edward and Seth, who were bent over double.

"Now you know never to get in between me and a fashion crisis." Alice said primly. "What have we got here?" Bella and Naomi exchanged guilty looks. "Blue jeans and a plain t-shirt? Bella, I thought we left this behind fifty years ago."

"Some things never get old." Bella said defensively. Naomi's attention was fixed on the hallway, where Emmett and Jake were in near hysterics and Carlisle was shaking his head in resignation. Rose, Esme, Nessie and Jasper were hiding smirks. Leah hung back, but seemed to enjoy seeing her brother in pain.

It took time, but eventually an outfit was decided upon. Bella took it upon herself to save Naomi from the same fate she had suffered at the hands of Alice, and a long battle ensued. In the end, Bella got what she wanted and Alice got what _she _wanted. The girls rooted through Bella's closet and tossed clothes out to Bella. The boys offered occasional input from the sidelines. Finally, much to Naomi's relief, she emerged from the closet one last time wearing a pair of dark wash jeans, a loose cotton tank top with a thick charcoal grey cardigan over top. Against her wishes, she was wearing a pair of black leather boots with a slight heel. She was sure she would topple over at an inconvenient moment, but Alice insisted that they "brought the look together".

"Success!" Alice cried, spinning Naomi in a circle. There were high fives all round. "Now for hair and makeup!"

"Wait." pleaded Naomi. "Breakfast first?"

"I could eat." agreed Jacob.

"When _can't_ you eat?" Nessie replied with a roll of her eyes. Jake growled. They headed to the kitchen in groups of two and three. Edward and Bella were talking with Carlisle and it seemed like Jake and Emmett were organizing "a match of epic proportions". Naomi wasn't too sure she wanted to know what that was all about. Naomi slipped her hand into Seth's. Her fingers were frozen in comparison to his heat.

"You look beautiful." Seth told her. She rolled her eyes and blushed. She wished she could take a compliment without turning a mortifying shade of red. Seth tried not to smile. Esme appear beside the pair and took Naomi's free hand in hers.

"Now what would you like for breakfast? We have eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, fruit, of course." Emse said. "We have a waffle maker, pancake mix, bagels, muffins." The smell of cooking bacon assaulted Naomi as she walked into the kitchen. It appeared Leah and Jake had raced ahead. Esme's delicate nose wrinkled slightly at the smell. Naomi glanced around and noticed the vampires wore identical expressions of distaste.

"Do you not like the smell of bacon?" Naomi asked, puzzled.

"It smells quite…strongly." Edward replied delicately.

"All human food does." Jasper explained. "We try to avoid eating, if possible."

"So, um…what do you drink?" Naomi had been avoiding this question. Jasper had mentioned in passing how difficult it was to resist human blood. If they drank it, there would be no need to resist. But they needed it to survive, at least according to mythology.

"We survive on animal blood." answered Edward. "It isn't in our nature, but we prefer animal blood to the alternative."

"Human blood." Naomi filled in the gap. "Is it possible to drink a person's blood without killing them?"

"It's exceedingly hard." Carlisle responded. "Once you being, it's nearly impossible to stop. Then of course there's the venom." Naomi noticed Jasper opening a window and inhale deeply. Crisp air blew in carrying the scent of autumn. She was relieved. Talk of blood before breakfast had made her queasy. She pictured a faceless vampire attacking a helpless human in a dark alleyway. There were copious amounts of blood being shed. Edward winced. Unbeknownst to her, Bella threw her shield over Naomi and Edward visibly relaxed.

"She has a very graphic imagination." Edward murmured to Bella, too quietly for human ears.

Breakfast was a quick affair, mainly due to the fact Alice stood tapping her foot impatiently waiting for Naomi to finish. She was whisked away the second she rested her fork on her plate. She now sat nervously on a tall stool in the washroom. Makeup was spread across the large counter. Foundation, eyeliner, blush, mascara, and several other products Naomi couldn't put a name to.

"What on earth is all this for?" she demanded. "Where did you get it? Clearly none of you wear makeup."

"There are 24 hour pharmacies around." Alice shrugged. "It's the best I could do on short notice. I'm not a miracle worker you know." Rose appeared, leaning against the doorway.

"I can't resist a makeover." she said ruefully. Bella materialized beside her.

"Don't let her over do it." Naomi implored Bella. S

"Please." scoffed Alice. "Give me a little credit." For the next thirty minutes Naomi played canvas for Alice, who was clearly enjoying herself. The three vampires then debated on whether to curl or straighten her hair. They agreed on straightening, only because they would curl it tomorrow. Seth had attempted to visit, but was redirected by Bella. And then they were done, which was a relief, because Naomi's legs were falling asleep.

"Okay, you can look now." Alice informed her excitedly. They had insisted she keep her eyes closed for the hair portion of the makeover. _"It'll be more shocking if you can't see the transformation" _they had said adamantly. Naomi opened her eyes, and she peered cautiously at her reflection. Her mahogany hair hung like a silk curtain to her elbows, and her hazel green eyes were dark and mysterious.

"You look gorgeous, Naomi!" Bella gushed.

"Thank you." Alice replied.

"Lord help me." Naomi muttered. "Alice, Bella, Rosalie, thank you for making me look-" she gestured to her new and improved self. "but don't we have a lot of work to do? Don't _I_ have a lot of work to do?"

"Someone always has to come along and ruin the fun." Alice scowled.


	15. Flash of Brilliance

"The change will be hard." recited Naomi. "I'll be a raging blood- thirsty, strong, dangerous killing machine. It will be disorienting, not having a heart beat and other normal reactions." Bella, Alice and Nessie sighed in unison.

"Naomi, all you've proven is that you have a good memory." Alice said. "You need to believe it and put yourself in that position."

"I can't Alice. I can't imagine it see it happening to me. Everything is moving too quickly." Naomi said tiredly. "I mean, twenty four hours ago, I had no idea that vampires even existed. And now you want me to put myself in the position of one? It's like you- you can't see werewolves because you've never been one." Alice frowned. That made sense. Naomi looked to the dining room where Carlisle, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Jake, Seth and Leah were deep in discussion. They were planning the next few months, after Naomi's transformation. They couldn't remain in Abbotsford for much longer once she became a vampire, but they couldn't leave too quickly- it would look suspicious. They also needed their next destination, somewhere far away, perhaps overseas. They needed to acquire a fake passport, birth certificate and other essential I.D. for Naomi, because once she went missing, she would be assumed dead. Esme was on the phone with the high school, registering Naomi as a student there. She had already alerted Naomi's private school that Naomi would be leaving.

Naomi turned her attention back to the living room, where Bella, Alice and Nessie were deep in thought as to how to make the transformation real for her.

Nessie suddenly shook her head. "We are complete morons."

"Brilliant idea!" Alice clapped her hand. Naomi was mystified.

"I can show you my memories!" Nessie explained. "Give me your hand. It's easier if you close your eyes." Apprehensively Naomi touched her hand to Nessie's. She felt a sharp burning pain. Her throat was on fire and her mind's eye zeroed in on a man who stepped in the front door of a house she didn't recognize. Naomi/Renesmee peered out from behind a curtain of hair. The cold hands that held her tightly were comforting to her. This man was important, Naomi could feel that. _Grandpa Charlie_. Bella's dad. That didn't stop him from smelling so delicious, so tempting. She longed to sink her teeth through his unprotected neck and drink the blood that pumped furiously through his veins. She could hear his heart beating, more rapidly than it normally would. So tempting. But Daddy had said no, no biting. She fought the burning in her throat, but she knew only his blood would put out the fire. Naomi released her hold.

"Oh my god."

"And I'm only half- vampire." Nessie said grimly. "It's going to be far worse for you." For the next hour, Naomi sat completely still, experiencing Nessie's memories of hunting, running, leaping high over a river that Naomi had not seen before. She killed a deer, drank its blood, felt the burn being soothed. But not erased, not completely. She smelled the stench of the werewolves, once so woody and wild now an overpowering stink. She broke her grip on Nessie to stretch her muscles.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Esme said, joining the group in the living room. "but I straightened things out with both schools. Now you'll be attending Abbotsford High School with the rest of the kid's tomorrow morning." Naomi beamed.

"Thank you!" she said embracing Esme.

"At least you'll be in the same hell as the rest of us." Nessie said brightly.

"Wait. Wait wait wait." Naomi said, holding up her hand. "Why are you in high school? Nessie, you're one hundred, right? And Bella, you're older." She gestured to the rest of the family. "You've done high school."

"Unfortunately, Child Services gets upset if you don't put your kids in school." Seth answered from the dining room.

"You've been going to high school for the past hundred years?" Naomi said in disbelief.

"Longer." Edward replied.

"How much longer?" Naomi asked.

"About one hundred years longer, give or take." Edward said wryly. Naomi's jaw dropped. Then she pulled it together.

"Okay. Wow, that's um… a lot of history." Naomi commented.

"And not to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but you get to join us there. For the rest of eternity." Emmett intoned forebodingly. The werewolves and vampires rolled their eyes.

"Don't worry, we find ways to make it interesting." Nessie assured her.

"I'm not worried." replied Naomi. "Let's get back to work."


	16. Sisters in Spirit

I'm going to try and start having songs that work with each chapter. The song for chapter 16 is Three Wishes by The Pierces. Follow the link to listen to it. .com/watch?v=RyUkQWk29jY

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Night had fallen in Abbotsford. The clouds were heavy tonight, obscuring both the mountain peaks and the twinkling stars. Naomi curled into Seth, arms wrapped around him in an embrace. Her head rested on his chest where she was comforted by the rhythmic thud of his heart in the quiet night. She had fallen asleep, despite her best attempts to fight it. Seth, however, was wide awake, running his fingers over Naomi's peculiar mahogany hair. He sat up as her heard soft footsteps approaching. He inhaled- Rosalie. This he had been expecting. She hesitated outside the door before knocking very gently.

"Come in." he whispered. Rose would have no trouble hearing him. Unlike Jacob, who refused to see her point of view back when Bella was pregnant, Seth had tried. And he did see. This was made easier by Rose's friendship with Leah, and Leah, perhaps intentionally, broadcasted her thoughts about Rosalie nearly every time they phased. So Seth understood, even if Jake didn't. And he couldn't truly dislike anyone, especially a friend of his sister's, who had made her feel welcome into the Cullen household.

Rosalie appeared in the room, her blonde hair glowing like an angel's in the dim night light.

"Seth, may I have a word with Naomi?" she asked. There was a tone in her voice that said if he refused, she would ignore him and wake her anyway. He decided to make it easier.

"Sure. I'll just be outside." He stood swiftly without jostling the bed. He opened the window and leapt out. Rose blinked. She hadn't expected that.

Rosalie looked at the sleeping form of the girl. Her brow had furrowed slight as though she felt the absence of her soul mate, even in an unconscious state. Or maybe it was something worse. That compelled Rose to wake her.

"Naomi." Rose said leaning over her sleeping form. She woke with a gasp and shot bolt right up. She whipped her head back and forth before focusing on Rose, who had backed away so she wouldn't seem threatening. Naomi blushed.

"Sorry. Every time I close my eyes, I think that all of this will have faded away and I'll be at home again." At least that was the partial truth. Rosalie wasn't entirely fooled. She approached the bed slowly and sat down.

"I just want you to know that you aren't alone." Rose began softly. "I know about what happened to you, Naomi." Naomi dropped her eyes to her hands.

"Everyone here knows." she replied quietly.

"It's not your fault."

"I shouldn't have been so stupid as to walk home in that kind of neighbourhood. I could have taken the bus. I could have slept over at a friend's. I could have not gone out at all." Naomi burst out. "It's entirely my fault."

"You shouldn't have to worry about walking in the dark. That's _not_ your fault."

"How it should be and how it is are two very different things. It should be safe, but it's not." Silence descended.

"I made the same mistake too, once." Rose said softly. Naomi's head shot up, her eyes wide. "It was 1933 in Rochester. In New York. It was late one night, and I needed to pick up a dress from the seamstresses. That's when I came across my fiancé with a group of his friends, drunk out of their minds." Naomi was shocked into silence. She couldn't picture Rosalie in a world other than the one she was in now- with her husband and her family surrounding her.

"They raped me, and beat me. I very nearly died on that street. I was almost certain I had died when I saw Carlisle, the doctor. He looked like an angel to me. Only now I know that he had smelled by blood and come to investigate. He took me back to his house, where he lived with Edward and Esme. He changed me into a vampire, and at the time I hated him for it." She fell silent looking out the window. "But I then I saw myself. And I used my abilities to hunt them all down. Every single one. I left him for last, my fiancé. He hired guards to protect him. He had holed up in a fortified room." She laughed a maniacal, vindictive laugh. "That didn't save him. He died with my name on his lips."

"Rose…"

"Don't feel sorry for me. Not you of all people. This is what makes us sisters, not a last name, not a household, not even a species." Rose said fiercly. She took Naomi's hand. "Only then, after I had sent them to hell, could I begin to live. Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Naomi looked into Rosalie's urgent, hard yellow eyes.

"Yes."

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Hey everyone! Thank you for reading! Did you know that over 1000 people have read Dawn? I'm absolutely blown away by that...so thanks once again. If anyone has any suggestions, comments, etc, feel free to email me with your ideas.

I'd also now like to see what you guys think Naomi's power will be. I've already got it picked out...it's going to be exciting. What do you think?


	17. Purgatory

Them Kids- Sam Roberts Band

.com/watch?v=1Ow-5Q53nIo

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"Alice, I'm not wearing heels." Naomi said flatly. "They make noise when you walk and everyone looks at you."

"That's the _point_." Alice insisted.

"That they laugh when you trip and fall?" Naomi retorted. Bella smirked. "Humans are not as a graceful as vampires."

"What about a little heel? A small one." wheedled Alice.

"Show me." Naomi was suspicious. Alice flew into the closet and reappeared holding a pair of brown, slouchy leather boots. The heel was small. And thick. Naomi felt herself caving.

"Good, they go so well with your outfit." Alice said triumphantly.

"But I haven't said yes!" Naomi protested.

"But you were going to." Alice winked. Naomi pulled the boots on and looked in the full length mirror. Darn it, Alice was right. They did go well with her outfit. She wore a short dress in a light material she didn't have a name for. It was patterned, mainly maroon, with beige and navy. She wore a thick pair of matching navy tights underneath. Her hair- a strange combination of dark brown and red- was accentuated by the maroon. Naomi allowed herself a little smile. Alice was a wiz at making people look good.

"You know, you have potential." Alice said, examining Naomi's reflection. "I know! You'll be my student. I have much to teach you."

"Alice, you're just saying that so you can keep dressing me in whatever you want, whenever you want." Naomi retorted. Alice grimaced.

"Caught me." She then beamed. "School's going to be so much more _fun_ now."

"School is _never _fun." Emmett appeared in the doorway. Then he whistled. "Seth is going to have competition!" Naomi blushed.

"What?" Naomi heard Seth call from the floor below. "What did Emmett just say?"

"Never mind." Edward replied with a smile in his voice. Alice and Naomi exchanged amused looks.

"We're leaving!" Rosalie shouted. Naomi could hear her faintly. She sounded like she was outside.

"Come on!" Alice grabbed Naomi's hand. Emmett had raced downstairs.

"How do we get to school?" Naomi asked.

"Cars." replied Alice.

"Cars _plural_?"

"Three to be exact. There are a lot of us." They emerged outside to find and followed the raised voices. Naomi couldn't make out what they were saying. Esme materialized beside Naomi.

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "We haven't worked out the schedule yet."

"Schedule for what?" questioned Naomi.

"Driving." Esme replied. In the end, Edward, Rose and Jake were holding keys, smiling smugly. Jake punched in numbers on a keypad to a garage separate from the house. Naomi's mouth dropped. The garage was filled with sleek, expensive cars. Porsche, Mercedes, Infiniti. Naomi recognized a few before her knowledge of cars ran out.

"We like to go fast." Seth said with a grin. Jake got into an Audi Storm, Edward, an Infiniti Wildfire, and Rose into a Jaguar Tsunami. The engines hummed and purred like wild beasts. Seth led Naomi to the Infiniti, where Bella was already sliding in the front seat. The fleet of cars pulled away with a squeal of tires. Alice waved goodbye to Carlisle and Esme.

"Let's go over this again." Bella said, twisting in her seat. She didn't have her seatbelt on. Naomi guessed it was rather unnecessary if you were indestructible. She, however, wasn't. She clipped in her seatbelt firmly.

"Okay." Naomi frowned in concentration. "You, Edward, Seth, Leah, Alice, Jasper and I are in grade eleven. Emmett, Rose, Leah, Nessie and Jake are in grade twelve. You, Edward, Alice, Emmett and Nessie are all Cullen's. Jasper and Rose are Hale's. They're brother and sister, but were adopted by Carlisle and Esme. Jake, Seth and Leah are all Clearwater's. Their parents are doing aid work in Africa." Naomi sighed. "Have I missed anything?" Bella shook her head.

"That's it. But who are you?" she asked.

"Won't that be the million dollar question." Edward chuckled.

Naomi ignored him. "I'm just a friend."

"And the rings? If anyone asks. They haven't yet, which means their curiosity isn't satisfied." Seth interjected.

"Promise rings." Naomi said promptly. They nodded.

"Good timing. We're here." Bella said. Naomi looked out the tinted window. The school was rather unremarkable, low and long, with many windows. The windows offered a beautiful view of the mountains and surrounding forest. It must be difficult to concentrate in class. That's when Naomi noticed the people. The students heading into the building had stopped dead in their tracks. Their mouths had collectively dropped open.

"What are they staring at?" Naomi whispered as though they could hear her.

"Us." Seth replied. "They haven't gotten used to us being here yet. We've only been in school a couple weeks."

"Do they ever get used to you?" asked Naomi.

"Not really." Edward said, parking the car. Rose and Jake pulled in on either side. Alice stepped gracefully out of Rose's car and opened Naomi's door. She curtsied theatrically. Naomi reached for the hand Seth offered. How did he get over there so quickly? Her hands shook slightly.

Alice leaned close and whispered, "It's all about confidence." Naomi nodded. Seth's presence comforted her. She gripped him tightly. They walked in together, the family. Rose was talking with Leah, her hand intertwined with Emmett, who was talking to Jasper. Alice linked her free arm through Naomi's.

"Don't be afraid. You have us, remember?" she said.

Naomi smiled. "I know." Silence had descended upon the parking lot, only broken by the fluid sound of heels on pavement and the babble of voices from the Cullen's and the Clearwater's.

"We usually spend the time before class in the cafeteria." Bella said to Naomi from Seth's other side. "It makes us look normal."

"No offense, but I'm not sure that that plan is really going to work." Naomi said with raised brows.

"It's true, but no one knows what to make of us." Alice said, lowering her voice. "It was easier to blend in when there were five of us. But our numbers grew, significantly. Not that we don't love you guys." Alice said hastily. "You _know_ we do. But eleven is hard to explain."

"Hell, five was hard to explain." Emmett put in.

"Just answer questions vaguely." Edward counseled.

"If anyone is brave enough to ask questions." Emmett said with a terrifying grin.

"Exactly." Rose said. They entered the school. Jake and Jasper held open the doors.

"Thanks, dog." Edward smirked. Jake growled under his breath. Nessie kissed him. Naomi glanced at Edward, who was firmly pretending not to see them.

The school was plain, non- descript. It had white cinderblock walls and white linoleum floors. Standard issue. The cafeteria was a large room with two glass walls. It made the room look bigger- and better- than it was. Leah led the way to two tables that had been pushed together. The cafeteria had fallen into a stunned silence. Their gazes weighed heavily on Naomi. The family arranged themselves easily around the expanded table space. Naomi leaned into Seth, who was straddling the bench.

"We must have scared the crap out of them." Emmett said. There was unmistakable delight in his voice.

"Why?" asked Naomi.

"They put our table back together." Seth elaborated. Naomi smiled. She could feel his voice resonate through his chest. The table fell easily into conversation. Rose and Alice were discussing spring's fashion trends, despite it being barely autumn. Seth and Jacob were working on, as far as Naomi could tell, improvements on a car engine. Edward, Bella and Nessie were talking quietly, heads bent together. They looked at Naomi.

"You're attracting quite a bit of attention." Edward said with a smile.

"God, I hope not." Naomi muttered.

"They want to know who you are. And how you became tight with the Cullen's." Nessie said with amusement.

"Fall in love. Save a family. It's all rather simple." Naomi said with a shrug. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"You seem very calm around us." Edward said scrutinizing her. He was twirling a long strand of Bella's hair around his finger. She could almost feel him picking at her mind. She looked at him sternly. He had the decency to look apologetic. "Sorry. It's just that most people feel uneasy around us. It's part of our nature."

"No unease whatsoever." Naomi said.

"I know." Edward said. He grinned widely and looked at Alice. "Although some feel uneasy around Alice. I think it's because she feels obliged to pester you every waking moment. But if you ignore her long enough, she'll go away."

"No I won't." Alice said loudly, not turning away from Rose.

"He's been saying that for the last one hundred and fifty years." Bella whispered conspiratorially. "She hasn't." Naomi laughed. Just then the bell rung, making Naomi jump.

"Class." Nessie sighed. Naomi panicked.

"I don't even know my schedule!"

"Never fear." Alice said. "We all know it. Plus, we're all in the same classes. It keeps things interesting."

"All of you?" Naomi echoed.

"All of _us._" Bella corrected. "You're one of us now."


	18. Homeward Bound

I'd like to apologize in advance for how lame this is. It's midterm season in university, which means I must do this horrible thing called...studying...*sigh* So, due to my need to get good grades, this chapter is exceedingly short. I'll post another chapter tomorrow.

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The morning passed slowly. By lunch, Naomi had grown more accustomed to the stares and whispers that followed them down the halls and into classrooms. While Naomi was bored in class, she surreptitiously studied her classmates and her teachers. Even the adults in school had trouble acting normal around the Cullen's. How odd. Edward has said that most people felt uncomfortable around them. It was like they both wanted to look and wanted to run away. Odd.

Now it was lunch, and they joined Jake, Nessie, Emmett and Rose, who had already purchased food. Heaps and heaps of food.

"Who eats all this?" Naomi asked in disbelief.

"Between the two bottomless pits over there," Emmett jerked his thumb at Seth and Jake. "and Leah, most of it gets eaten."

"Don't people wonder why you never eat anything?" Naomi questioned.

Rose shrugged. "We used to eat a bit at lunch just for appearance, until one day someone overheard me throwing up in the washroom." Rosalie made a face. "I got a visit from the guidance councilor because everyone thought I was bulimic." Naomi tried not to smile. Not long later, the bell rang. True to Emmett's word, most of the food was gone.

"We are _seriously_ looking forward to when you become a vampire." Nessie informed Naomi.

"Why?"

"We're going to miss a bit of class to help you adjust. We'll start up again second semester." Nessie stared off dreamily. "It'll be wonderful."

"Where are we going to go to school?" Naomi asked curiously.

"Ireland." Nessie answered. Naomi choked on her water.

"_Ireland?_" Alice glared at Nessie.

"We were going to tell her when we got home." Alice informed Nessie.

"Oops." Nessie said covering her mouth.

"We're going to Ireland?" Naomi repeated.

"There's almost no sun there." Edward explained.

"And it's far enough away." Seth added. Naomi was silent. _Okay,_ she thought, _we're going to Ireland._


	19. Perfect Never Lasts Long

Everything was perfect. Naomi spent the days being lectured not on the proper use of comma's and the British participation in the Second World War, but on the finer points of transforming into an immortal being. At night, she slept warm and safe in the comfort of Seth's arms. It is when you are in that state of unawares, that state of bliss, that you never expect anything to go wrong. But a more wary person, a more superstitious one, would realize and wait with baited breath, for something to come crashing down. But Naomi was not aware, nor was she superstitious. So when Seth left her at the edge of the woods late Wednesday afternoon, she didn't anticipate that things were about to become a little more complicated.

Naomi stepped through the tree line and walked across the small, overgrown lawn. A smile was plastered on her face and euphoria danced through her veins. Not even the sight of the small, ramshackle house could dim her happiness.

"_I have to do this alone."_ she had told Seth. And so Seth, the last to agree, relented.

Naomi cut across the lawn and grimaced at the chipping red paint on the porch and the weeds that sprouted between the cement pathway. At least there were no other houses around to be compared to, although Naomi couldn't help but compare it to the grandeur of the Cullen's. Her eyes shot to the door as she heard a scuffling movement inside. The door burst open.

A man stood in the doorway squinting at her with unfocused bloodshot eyes. His shirt, stained with who knows what, was untucked over his protruding beer belly.

Naomi's eyes widened. Her vision wavered. "D-dad?" Naomi backed away, not once removing her eyes from her father's disheveled figure. Why was he here? What did he want? Her heart raced. Her father took an unsteady step towards her.

"Seth!" she screamed. "_Seth!_" There was an answering, angry howl from the woods. It was close enough to make Naomi's father jerk back in surprise.

"What-?" he stuttered incompetently.

"Where's mom?" Naomi yelled. She was more confident now, knowing that Seth was coming. Her dad couldn't hurt her. "Where's mom?" Naomi's mom appeared in the darkened doorway, peering timidly into the dull afternoon light. No one spoke. Naomi assessed the state of her parents. Her father had a rough beard covering is equally rough face. Her mother's hair was a ratty nest. Her eyes flickered to the crook of her father's arm. Even from ten feet away she could see the bruised skin.

"Are you _high_?" she cried. "Answer me, dammit!" Naomi heard the screech of car tires coming around the bend.

"Who's…" her father didn't finish his thought. Two sports cars skidded to the shoulder of the road. Within seconds, Seth, Leah, Jake, Emmett, Jasper and Edward had exited the cars. They now stood beside Naomi, fluid and threatening. Naomi's parents froze. Seth wrapped his arms protectively around her and Naomi pressed her face to Seth's bare chest. Carlisle was slower, taking his time to join his family. The wind changed direction, and the vampires and werewolves flinched.

"Their blood." Edward murmured. His face was wrinkled in disgust. He looked at Carlisle and said too quietly for humans to hear, "Albert and Cynthia."

"Albert, Cynthia, I'm doctor Carlisle Cullen." Carlisle addressed them in a soothing tone. Naomi's parents stared blankly back. "I'm afraid my family has become quite attached to your daughter over the past week." There was still no response. Things were moving too quickly for their addled brains to compute.

"We're going to take her home now." Seth said. "If you would like her back, call." Carlisle pulled out a business card and handed it to a stunned Albert.

"Wait." Naomi whispered. "I need to know why he's here." Seth hesitated, then released his hold on her. If either of them so much as touched her, he would kill them. It was as simple as that. Edward assessed Seth with his yellow eyes. Jasper and Emmett stood cool and fierce.

Naomi towards her parents, anger burning low like a hum in her skull. "I know you aren't here because you want to be. You only come when need something. Now what is it that you want?" she hissed, her anger escaping. It took some time for her father to pull his eyes away from the vampires and werewolves, who were tensed to intervene. He blinked at his daughter.

"Money."

"What the _hell_ makes you think we have any money?" Naomi cried incredulously.

"The papers said you we-were going to a private school." he slurred.

"For Christ sakes." Naomi muttered. She kneaded her forehead. "We don't see the money. It goes directly to the school. Do you think they're stupid enough to give people like us that much money?" Her father was a lost cause. "Mom, make him go away. He's not good for you. He's not good for _us_. You were doing so much better." Her throat tightened painfully. "Send him away." Naomi's father glared at her through mean eyes.

"I wouldn't do that." Edward said coolly. His eyes were focused on Albert. Albert's eyes widened in fear.

Naomi's mother was shocked. "How dare you say something like that about your father?" Cynthia was a mean drunk. She saw her daughter as the reason Albert didn't like to be with them. She glared at her daughter. "Maybe you should go." The words hit Naomi like a slap. She paled.

"Gladly." she said softly. She turned her back on her parents and walked back to Seth, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He kissed her head softly and led her to the car.

She was silent on the drive home. She ran her fingers over Seth's, tracing the lines on his palm and following the curve of his nails. When they arrived at the Cullen's, Naomi was met by a deeply distressed Alice.

"Naomi, I'm so sorry!" her eyes were rimmed red like she had been crying. "I saw, only I saw too late."

Naomi embraced Alice patting her cold back. "It's okay Alice. You can't catch everything. I don't blame you for that." Renesmee materialized and tossed shirts at Jake and Seth.

"You can keep yours off." Nessie said, winking at Jake. Naomi burst out laughing in shock. Edward was right there! Alice nodded to Nessie. That was a quick way to take the attention off of Naomi. It was an added bonus that Naomi found it amusing. Another bonus was that it annoyed Edward. _Excellent, _Alice though.

With Seth on one arm and Alice on the other, the group walked into their home.


	20. Some of Us Yearn for Revenge

The week passed both slowly and quickly. The time spent in school was painfully slow. Naomi wanted to be at home with the Cullen's, learning more about vampires and their history in the open instead of watching over her shoulder for eavesdroppers. But as Edward reminded her, that was part of being a vampire. _You must keep the secret_.

But when she _was_ at home, the time passed quickly. She talked with Carlisle and Edward about history, everything they've seen. Naomi couldn't have even imagined that Carlisle was that old. It was a strange sensation to be talking to someone who looked twenty-five about the creation of the gas car.

She talked to Seth about, well, _anything_. She got the shock of her life when she him phase for the first time. She often found herself replaying it in her head in an attempt to slow it down. See how it happened. Seth said once they stopped phasing, they started aging. Leah had tried once, he had told her. It hadn't worked all that well. They decided it was their proximity to vampires.

"_We only exist to protect people from vampires_" he had said. _"They're our enemies_." They didn't look too much like enemies to Naomi, who watched Rose, Seth, Jake and Edward pour over calculations and sketches. They were trying to create an engine that ran on solar power, like all vehicles did now, but had better speed, like the old gas cars.

Naomi also spent much of her time reliving Nessie's memories. She had a better idea of what it would be like when she became a vampire than Bella did when she transformed. This was reassuring for the Cullen's and Clearwater's. They had set a date- Sunday, September 21. It was a relief to have a date set, instead of anticipating the unknown. It also helped her prepare mentally. She was worried, however. Not about the pain of the transformation, and not about condemning her soul to hell, as Edward was sure happened. She was worried about letting them down, if she suffered from newborn madness. She was also worried, but this was a secret worry and her deepest fear, that she would have to wait years before she could act herself around Seth without having to be afraid she would hurting him. Or worse. Vampire venom was lethal to werewolves.

She calmed herself by going over the details. Not about becoming a vampire, although she thought about that often, in the moments between waking and sleeping. She thought about the plan. How it would work. Alice assured her it would be a success, but Naomi was not an optimistic person, and therefore, she had doubts.

Saturday, around two, Carlisle would call the police. He would say Naomi was supposed to arrive at their house at ten. They had called her house; they had driven by and knocked at the door. No one had answered. Knowing it was far too soon to call the police and report a missing person, Carlisle would say he was uneasy and would like to let the police know that Naomi was unreachable.

Contrary to police standards, the police would come to the Cullen's. This would be partially because Abbotsford is a small town, and a potentially missing girl would upset residents. But they would come mostly because they would run Naomi's name through the database and see her extensive file, her changed name and fear would grow in the pits of their stomachs. The hair on the backs of their necks would rise, and they would put two and two together. To hell with procedure. Then it would begin.

Naomi also thought constantly about what Rosalie had said. What she had implied. She often caught Edward looking at her, frowning. Not judging, but feeling the heavy weight of her thoughts.

It was late Friday night when she decided. She excused herself from the living room and walked briskly up the stairs. Carlisle was in his office, working over the final details of their move.

She felt the air brush by her and nearly walked smack into Edward on the landing. Her heart leapt to her throat. He had startled her. He watched her coolly with his topaz and glared back at him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she demanded, trying to duck past him. He didn't move.

"Are you really sure this is the best thing to do?" he asked quietly. She pushed past him, and he let her go. She stalked to the flight of stairs leading to Carlisle's office, angry at the fact Edward would question her. It made her question herself.

This time Naomi did run into Edward, solid as marble blocking her path. She swore under her breath.

"What. do. you. want?" she hissed.

"You shouldn't do it." Edward replied somberly. "I know what Rose told you and I know what she said you need to do."

"I'm not going to do it because Rose told me to do so." she replied scathingly. "I _need _to. Now can you please get out of my way."

"Do you really want to begin your life as an immortal with bloodshed?" he pressed.

"Let her by, Edward." Seth said quietly resting his hands on Naomi's shoulders.

"I need to do this." she answered, her voice harsh. "Every time I close my eyes I see them, Edward. I know you've been telling Seth when to wake me up when I start dreaming of them. There's no way he could know. You of all people should know just how badly I need this. They deserve death. And I deserve to deliver it."

"I have no doubt that they deserve to die at your hands." Edward said heavily. "It's not a question of that. I just think you're better than outright murder."

"I'm not." A dark smile traced her lips. Edward assessed her for another moment before nodding. After a moment's thought, he followed Seth and Naomi to Carlisle's office.


	21. The Last Breakfast

Hello readers! I've received several emails asking me to make the chapters longer, so as Edward says, _Your wish, my command_ (New Moon). This is my attempt anyway.

Just as a heads up, the second part of the story after the page break is from the point of view of the police officer. You'll see. Hope you like it!

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She woke early, stomach tight with anticipation. The plan was in motion. Today was the day for execution. Naomi giggled to herself, tension rising like a bubble. Execution day was technically tomorrow. She sobered at once. She may technically die, and her heart may technically never beat again, but this most certainly was no sentence to death.

Seth appeared, his black hair messy. He was smiling, black eyes flashing in the morning light. He had a glass of orange juice, held out as an offering.

"Morning. We have breakfast for you." Naomi took the glass. She sniffed. Bacon and eggs, sausages. Seth led the way to the kitchen.

It was organized chaos. Pans sizzled and steam flew. Delicate crystal bowls were piled high with sliced fruit. Apples, red and green, pears, blueberries, raspberries. Naomi blinked. Was that chocolate? Alice beamed and wrapped her arm around Naomi's waist.

"Welcome to one of several _delicious_ feasts we have planned for you." Alice said gesturing grandly.

"It may be your last." Emmett said spookily, wriggling his brows. Bella hit him playfully.

"We realize that not all of this is what you would call 'breakfast material' but it's a special occasion." said Esme with a smile.

"Thank you." Naomi said sincerely. "Wow…" She sat down to her last breakfast and ate chocolate chip pancakes, watermelon, gummy bears and milkshakes. She ate until she could not eat a single bite more. She was content.

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Officer Raymond Creston pulled his cruiser with _Abbotsford County_ scrolled across the side in large blue letters. He ran his hand over his face, then fitted his cap on snugly. He tried to look calm and reassuring. He stepped out of the car and marveled at the house before him. Enormous with imposing grey stone. If only he had that kind of money…

He walked to the door and debated. Ring the bell or knock on the door? Knocking seems more neighbourly. He knocked three solid thunks. He felt nervous. The imposing house had done its job. He felt intimidated. He wished his partner were here, but in a time of emergency, one is all they could spare from Abbotsford's minimal police force.

A young man answered the door, brow wrinkled with worry. Raymond was briefly astonished by his almost angelical good looks. Glowing blond hair and eerie yellow eyes. Raymond started. They couldn't be yellow. He shook his head gently.

"Officer, Doctor Carlisle Cullen. I appreciate your promptness." Carlisle said welcoming him in. The worry hadn't left his eyes. Raymond's eyes flickered to the teens strewn throughout the room. It was unnaturally silent for so many people. Tense. The tension of those in the midst of a tragedy.

"We don't like to waste time in this type of situation." Raymond replied evasively. "Is there somewhere where we could talk in private?"

"Of course." Carlisle replied. "Let's go to my office." Raymond followed the doctor up two flights of stairs to a large office. Its pale wood floors were stacked with books, as were the shelves. Carlisle smiled.

"We bought this house for the office."

"And the view?" suggested Raymond. Carlisle smiled again.

"Among other things. Please, have a seat." Carlisle said, motioning to the chair sitting before his desk.

Raymond hesitated. "Doctor, how well did you and your family know Miss. Wilson?"

Carlisle pondered this. "Not well, I suppose. She only just moved here, from my knowledge. My daughter Alice and son Jasper met her last week. Seth, the son of our close family friend, is dating her." He smiled ruefully. "He's quite smitten." A fist seized Raymond's heart. He felt like the destroyer of worlds, the bringer of darkness to the picture perfect family.

He cleared his throat. "Doctor, what I'm about to tell you is confidential. However, your family could be at risk. What I'm laying out is a worst case scenario, but we like to be prepared." Carlisle frowned fixing his eyes on Raymond. Raymond wondered if he should be telling the doctor this, so soon into the investigation. But chances are Naomi didn't forget to return their calls.

"Naomi's real name isn't Naomi Wilson. It's Naomi Quinn." Raymond explained slowly. Carlisle's frown deepened in confusion. "She was involved in a very serious rape case involving four members of the Doomstown Crips. They were brought to trial, but they had alibis."

"Good lord." the doctor buried his face in his hands and closed his eyes. Raymond gave it a moment to skin in, each moment wishing he would hear the delighted shrieks of the girls downstairs and the slam of a door, signaling Naomi's return. He didn't hear anything.

"She changed her name and moved here. There was a significant chance that the Doomstown Crips would threaten her life for slandering their name and disrespecting them." Raymond explained. "Now I know you don't want to think about this, but have any of your children talked to you about seeing anyone suspicious? Perhaps around their school, or at Naomi's house?"

Carlisle shook his head. "They haven't said anything. Do you think that the gang members could have…?" Carlisle voice trailed off, not wanting to voice his thought.

"There's a chance." Raymond replied gently. Carlisle stood and looked out the window. Raymond stood also. "Is there any chance I could have a word with your children? I don't want to frighten them unnecessarily, but they could be instrumental in ruling out gang activity." Raymond felt better having something to do. Something to go on. This is what the handbook said to do. Find witnesses, interview them. He felt sure of his actions.

"Of course." Carlisle answered at once. He sounded dazed. "They aren't all my children. Three have been left in my care by their parents, who are doing aid work in Africa." _He said it mechanically_, Raymond noted. _He may be in shock. He's grasping at strings, trying_ _to gain some sense of control._

"Do you want to sit down?" Raymond asked. Carlisle shook his head.

"No, no. I'll be alright. I'm simply presenting some signs of shock." Carlisle remarked calmly. "Please, after you."

All heads turned as Raymond and Carlisle walked down the staircase. Three were standing by the window, two with hair the colour of charcoal and one with hair like bronze. The children, more like young adults, really, were standing in clusters of two or three. One of the boys with black hair assessed him, then turned his gaze back to the window that overlooked the great expanse of woods. This must be the new group of kids his niece was telling him about. Stuck to themselves, an unusual sort of group. They were adopted, but-he wasn't sure this was true- they were dating. He understood how Becky could be fascinated by them. He found himself equally fascinated. As well as a whole lot of nervous.

"Hi kids, I'm Officer Creston." Raymond said, trying to sound friendly. The sharp eyes were unblinking. He swallowed. "I would like to get a sense of how today played out. Would you mind answering a few questions?" The teens looked at one another, then one spoke.

"That would be fine." It was the tallest of the boys with black hair. A girl with the same bronze hair as the boy slipped her fingers through his. The family arranged themselves on the large couches.

"Seth, come on." the boy with bronze hair murmured to the boy by the window. Seth glared at him, and then took a seat.

"Do you mind if I record the conversation?" Raymond asked. The family shook their heads. Raymond pulled a tiny recorder out of an inside pocket of his jacket and flicked it on.

"Could you identify yourselves?" There were several brows raised, and Raymond blushed. "Just so we can get to know each other…" Raymond trailed off. There was silence before-

"Edward Cullen. The others are Bella Cullen-" he gestured to the girl who's arm was wrapped around his waist, "Alice Cullen, Nessie Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Rosalie Hale and Jasper Hale. Seth, Jake and Leah Clearwater are family friends." Raymond tried to scribble descriptions on his pad of paper. He attempted for a moment longer before the names and faces ran together. Damn. He could always ask Becky.


	22. Question Period

Hello! Just so you know, I combined two chapters so it would be longer, as you guys requested. Which explains why the story doesn't flow quite perfectly. But I like how the two combined chapters are written, so I'm going to keep it this way. I hope you guys like it too!

Alli.

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"When did you begin to think something was wrong?" Raymond asked. It was Jasper who answered, his arm intertwined with the petite girl's.

"She was supposed to arrive at 10:00. She was late and at first we thought she was just running behind. Then we thought she had forgotten. Then we called you."

"What did you have plans to do?" Raymond questioned.

"We were going to eat breakfast and then hang out. Do homework-" Alice's eyes flickered to Seth. "Naomi's been staying with us a lot."

"Staying?" Raymond thought this was an unusual word to use.

They all nodded. "Staying over. She doesn't like to talk about it… but from what we gathered her family situation wasn't very good." Bella explained haltingly. She looked at Edward's fingers. Raymond's interest was piqued.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Like Bella said, she doesn't like to talk about it." Emmett answered. His arm was thrown casually over the shoulder of the blond girl. _Rosalie Hale_.

"Have you ever been to her house?" asked Raymond.

"Twice." responded Nessie. "Once today and once a couple days ago to drop her off."

"Did you notice any strange vehicles or people outside her house? Maybe nearby?" The family stared at him.

"She doesn't have any neighbours." Emmett answered sounding confused.

"You think she's been _kidnapped_?" Rosalie said in disbelief. Her beauty was astounding. Raymond chose not to answer.

"Have you seen one outside your school, or has she complained about anyone following her?" Raymond pressed.

"What is this about?" Jake asked. There was a hard note in his tone.

"Is there any reason to suspect she's been kidnapped?" Edward demanded. They were insisting on answers, none of which he could give. Raymond looked helplessly to Carlisle. Seth sat motionless, mouth pressed in a tight line. Raymond tactfully decided to change topics. _The kids are clearly getting upset_, he thought, eying Seth. And they should be. Their friend is missing.

"How did you meet Naomi?" he asked.

"She was walking in the forest." Alice replied, giving a wavering smile. "She said she didn't like to walk on the trails. She got lost and found her way to us." Raymond froze.

"Did she go hiking in the forest often?" Raymond demanded. The family looked at one another.

"More often than we do." Rose said. Seth looked up at Raymond, his eyes full of hope.

"She could be out there. She may not have been taken." he spoke quickly, optimism colour his tone. "You have to call in helicopters, search dogs- _everything._" Raymond stood and pulled out his walkie- talkie.

"This is unit 4823. It's possible the missing girl is lost in the forest. Organize a search team immediately."

"Have you talked to her family yet?" Carlisle asked.

"Not yet. We are under the impression that Naomi lives with her mother. Can you confirm that?" Raymond was in full police mode now. He was a small town cop that didn't know anything about inner city gangs, but he grew up playing in forests similar to this one. Wilderness he could handle.

The teens frowned. Then Seth spoke. "I could have sworn she mentioned her dad. She was upset because he had come back…that's why she stayed with us." He froze. "Is that a problem?" Raymond didn't answer.

"This is unit 4823. Squadron approaching the Wilson residence exercise extreme caution. The father, Albert Quinn, is reported to be visiting. He is unstable and often under the influence of narcotics."

"_Drugs_?" Seth whispered. Raymond chose not to answer.

"Thank you, doctor." he said, shaking Carlisle's hand. It was startlingly cold. It disturbed him, but he ignored it. "Thank you, kids. We'll keep you updated." He let himself hurriedly out of the house. The brisk wind empowered him, and blew away the nervousness and unease he felt. He got in his cruiser and slammed the car door firmly. He had a job to do.

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The vampires and werewolves waited a beat, then two. They heard the squeal of tires and the sound of a siren wail away. The room was filled to the brim with bodies and emotions. In the blink of an eye it was empty. They raced silently up the stairs, Seth leading the way. He threw open the door to his room where Naomi sat on his bed, tense and pale faced.

She leapt from the bed and into Seth's arms smiling uncontrollably. She began to laugh as he spun her, her body pressed tightly to his.

"He's gone? It worked?" she asked breathlessly once Seth set her back on her own two feet. Alice grinned triumphantly.

"I knew it would. There's a reason why no one ever bets against me." she raised a brow pointedly at Edward. Edward pointedly ignored it.

"It's happening. Oh my god it's really happening." a smile spread slowly across her face, one of disbelief and excitement. It was hopeful.

"It's really happening." Bella replied.

"Naomi." Edward said seriously. He wanted her to pay attention. Naomi fixed her solemn cat- like eyes on Edward. "We can inject the venom tonight. Now, even, if you'd prefer. Or we can wait until tomorrow." Naomi bit her lip.

"If it's okay with everyone," she answered, looking at the- _her_- family before her, "I'd like to have one more night as a human." Emmett hid a snort by turning it into an unlikely cough. Bella scowled at him.

"Of course it's alright." Esme said, appearing suddenly by Naomi's side. "Take all the time you need."

"Thank you." With that, the vampires and the werewolves filed out of the room, leaving Naomi and Seth alone.

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She spent her last night as a human staring into Seth's eyes. She wanted to commit this moment to memory, so that when the pain became too much, she would have something to hold on to.

"I'm scared." she whispered. She hoped the others couldn't hear her. She buried her head in the hollow of Seth's collar bone, feeling the heat of his skin fan along hers. She inhaled. This would be the last time she would smell his musky wood scent, the smell of damp wood and fresh rain. She willed herself not to cry on the pure basis it would upset Seth. She didn't need to cry for Seth to know she was upset. He rubbed her back soothingly and held her more tightly. She pulled gently away.

"Seth." He heard the change in her tone and frowned up at her. Her eyes were large and black in the darkness. Her skin glowed a pale white. She leaned down slowly, her hair falling like a curtain. She kissed him hesitantly at first, then more urgently. His lips were warm and soft. She lost herself in the passionate kisses and hands that played over her body. Or maybe she found herself, because to Naomi, it felt like home.


	23. Sunday

Naomi woke with a gasp, whipping her head frantically about. Seth sat up, a low growl building in his throat. Naomi caught sight of him and fell back with a sigh. She wondered when she would stop waking up and thinking it had all disappeared. _Oh_, she realized, _that would be today_. She leapt out of bed followed by Seth. She was trembling with nerves. She threw open the door and walked smack into Emmett. She blinked.

"Morning to you too, Emmett." Naomi said.

"Morning." Emmett replied casually. "Have a good sleep?" Naomi was mystified.

"Yes. It was lovely." she said slowly. She tried to duck under Emmett's arm. He blocked her. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"You didn't do too much sleeping for your last night of actually being _able_ to sleep." Emmett commented.

"Well, no-" she caught herself. Her eyes narrowed. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh no, not at all." Emmett lowered his arm and gestured to Naomi. "_Aprez vous_."

"_Merci_." She was still suspicious. She walked down the staircase to the dining room. There was a slight pause in conversation when Naomi and Seth entered. There were several giggles that were quickly transformed into coughs.

"Did you have a nice sleep?" Alice asked.

"What is it with you people and sleep?" Naomi asked exasperatedly. Leah glared at her. It fell into place. Mythical creatures with unnaturally keen hearing. A brother who could read minds and a sister who could see the future. Naomi blushed a furious red and buried her face in her hands.

"We didn't-" she said weakly.

"Oh, we know." Emmett replied wriggling his brows evilly.

"Good lord…" her words were muffled by her hands. Edward chuckled and Carlisle smiled to himself from his armchair. "I'm going to pray that I forget this moment when I'm a vampire."

"The lord can't save you now." Emmett said spookily. "And there's no _way_ I'm going to let you forget this." Naomi stepped threateningly towards him, fist raised. Seth caught her around the waist.

"You might want to wait until you're a vampire before you do that." he advised. "You'll get less hurt that way."

"You might actually do some damage." Edward added thoughtfully. Alice laughed.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Esme called from the kitchen.

"No thanks." Naomi replied. Her stomach was not in the mood for food. Silence descended upon the house. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation. Too polite to ask, they were waiting for Naomi to bring it up. It was her call, really. She could wait until dark, wait until lunch. Wait until tomorrow if she wanted. But Naomi was hard pressed to find a worse feeling that waiting. Endless waiting. "So…um. If you guys are ready, I'm ready too." Esme and Rosalie appeared in the living room. Edward and Carlisle glanced at each other, and Edward nodded.

"Are you certain you're ready?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Naomi said firmly. "I'm ready." Seth squeezed her hand, which was now trembling. Adrenalin pumped through her veins.

"Don't worry. I'll be there every single moment until you wake up." Seth whispered. Naomi nodded. Words were hard. Bella lead the way up the stairs. They seemed to have a predestinated room. To Naomi's surprise, it was Seth's. She was slightly relieved by this. She knew his room- their room- better than any other in the house. She felt comfortable here.

"Just lay down." Bella told her. Naomi obeyed, feeling slightly awkward as the room full of people watched her. Bella leaned down and whispered in Naomi's ear, "Try not to scream. It will upset him." Naomi nodded, her eyes wide. Seth narrowed his eyes at Bella.

"Remember what I showed you." Nessie said. She held tightly to Jake's arm. Naomi could see Edward and Carlisle readying long needles. She looked away.

"We'll be here for you the whole time." Rose said calmly.

Alice smiled reassuringly. "Everything will be fine. I can see that." Carlisle appeared at Naomi's side.

"Carlisle." Naomi said suddenly. "If you use Edward's venom _and_ I'm mentally prepared, how will you know which really works? You can't have two unknown variables."

Carlisle smiled. "We're willing to risk that." This, more than almost anything, calmed Naomi. But nothing calmed her more than the warm steady heat of Seth's hand wrapped around hers.

"Okay. Do it." Naomi said. She looked once more at Seth, soaking up one last time the angles of his face and the kindness in his eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the nip of a needle in her wrist.

"I love you." he told her.

"I love you too."

Then her muscles tensed. She felt burning. A fire raced through her veins, replacing the adrenalin. She could feel it spreading up her arm hot like liquid metal. Like a burning acid corroding her veins, eating her from the inside out. The pain burned red in her sight, and despite her attempts, a tortured moan seeped from her lips.


	24. Awakening

Hey everyone! Check out Help Me, I've Alive by Metric. It goes with this chapter perfectly. Enjoy!

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She lay completely still on the bed. She held herself tightly, eyes squeezed shut, her teeth clenched painfully together. Her body was rigid.

"Naomi?" Seth asked gently. His voice was controlled but there was an unmistakable tension. "Naomi?" If she could hear him, she didn't respond. She didn't make a sound. Bella, Edward, Alice, Nessie, Seth, Esme and Carlisle were at Naomi's side. Leah leaned against the back wall, observing emotionlessly. Nearly an hour had passed in the seventy- two hour process. The waiting was endless to Seth. He couldn't image the torture Naomi had to suffer. He wanted to make it stop, alleviate it somehow. Take it away from her. If he could feel the excruciating pain instead of her, he would. In a heartbeat. The helplessness he felt was, in itself, a form of torture.

"There's nothing you can do, Seth." Edward told him.

"I know. That's what makes it so hard." he replied, not taking his eyes off Naomi.

"Oh my…" Alice grimaced. In an instant Edward was on the opposite side of the bed, flattening Naomi's clenched fist. Alice was doing the same.

"What's going on?" Seth demanded.

"Look." Alice said. She turned Naomi's palm upward. Four crescent cuts were seeping blood. Seth flinched. "Make sure she keeps her hands flat." Seth took Alice's place. They waited in a silent vigil, listening carefully for the rapid beat of her heart to fade.

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Downstairs, Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Jake were planning. Planning Naomi's revenge. It hadn't been a secret that Naomi went to Carlisle for his blessing. And while Edward had tried to reason with her, he- as well as the others- were on her side. Their anger and disgust sat like a stone in the pit of their stomachs for the torture their sister had to endure. Alice had been looking to the future for the opportune time. The filth planned to meet at a club in downtown Toronto in two weeks time. It worked out perfectly. That is, if all went as planned with Naomi's transformation. If it didn't… well, they prayed to gods they didn't believe in that they wouldn't have to find out.

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They house was eerily silent. The house creaked in the wind. The sound of whispered conversation didn't travel to the far corners of the house. The air was thick with apprehension, a nearly palpable thing. The house hummed with it. The dead leaves did their rattling dance across the grassy clearing, the tall weeds rustling with a sigh.

The vampires and werewolves revolved around the house aimlessly. They drifted in and out of Seth and Naomi's bedroom, drawn to it as if being there would speed up the process. Naomi hadn't made a sound, she hadn't responded to their voices. They left to feed, left to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere, all except one who remained by Naomi's bedside, ear trained to her heart. Bella delivered food to Seth, her nose wrinkled unconsciously with distaste, ruffling his hair as she left the room.

The days passed slowly, though they passed more quickly than the night. The inky black was unusually suppressing, stifling. And on the third day as the sun made its lazy way across the sky, the Cullen's gathered in the bedroom, watching Naomi with unblinking eyes and razor sharp hearing. And as the sun set, Alice's gaze unfocused. She stared into space and said, "It's time."

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Her heart beat so strongly she thought it would break through her chest. Crack her ribs and leap from her burnt remains. That was all that could be left of her, the ashes. It didn't matter that Bella had said she would feel this way. She couldn't possibly be right. It was hard to remember what Bella had said and Nessie had showed her when acid split her skin from the inside and her brain was being melted. Her heart thumped painfully against her chest until there was no space between the beats. _Thunkthunkthunkthunk_- her heart suddenly gave a shudder. It beat no more. The pain was gone. She had died. This was clearly what had happened. She felt a sharp stab of sorrow and longing for Seth. But she didn't feel dead. She took a hesitant breath. Air whistled melodiously through her windpipe. She could hear the quiet breath of seven- no, eight others. She inhaled, tasting the air. She smelled the sweetest scent, the smell of spring and freshly bloomed flowers. And- her nose crinkled. Something unpleasant. A wet stench.

"Naomi?" a velvety voice asked. Edward. Her eyes flew open and she was on her feet. She blinked. The vampires stared back at her cautiously. Emmett had stepped in front of Rosalie, who was peering around Emmett's broad form. That's when Naomi noticed they were all like that, Carlisle protecting Esme, Jasper- a hiss rose in her throat, a vicious rattlesnake hiss. Scars stood out on his unbelievably handsome face. And arms. And neck. She was about to hiss again- anyone who had that many vampire bites must be incredibly dangerous- when she stopped herself. She straightened. This was Jasper. He found her, brought her here. Alice's true love, her soul mate. He wouldn't harm her. She blushed. Or she waited for the blush that never arrived.

"Sorry." she said meekly. Her voice was clear and musical. She was temporarily distracted by it, and replayed it in her mind. She was then startled by the fact that she _could_ replay it in her mind, perfectly, like a recording.

"How do you feel?" Carlisle asked.

Naomi's brow furrowed as she tried to find the words to describe how she felt. "I feel…everything. Happy, sad, confused, overwhelmed…" she trailed off.

"But not thirsty." stated Edward.

"Thirsty…" she mulled this over. There was a burning in her throat, like a strong itch. That must be the thirst. It was dull before, but now that Edward mentioned it, it grew stronger. But bearable. Not demanding, an all powerful need like Nessie and Bella described it. Confusing. "I'm not thirsty." Her eyes widened. "Does this mean…?"

"It worked." Alice's eyes danced with excitement.

"It worked!" Naomi echoed elatedly. They wouldn't be forced to live as savages in the deep wilderness while she matured. She wouldn't have to keep away from those with blood and beating- Seth.

"Where's Seth?" Naomi asked. It wasn't really a question, more of a demand. "The werewolves, Nessie?"

"They have blood. And you might feel…" Edward didn't finish. Naomi could fill in the blanks.

"Nessie's fine. _Someone_ is overprotective." Emmett said pointedly.

There was a quiet growl from below. Naomi listened, fascinated. She could hear all the way to the living room? Four heart beats, one unusually quickly, even Naomi could tell that. She sound was mouthwatering, but she controlled it. She strained to hear further. She found she didn't have to strain at all. She could hear cars driving down the main street of town, at least eight kilometers away. Easily.

"Can I see Seth?" Naomi questioned. It was strange how utterly different her voice was. Beautiful. The others also. Her human ears didn't have the ability to hear every note in the voices of the vampires. Carlisle and Edward glanced at each other, and Carlisle hesitated. Emmett got frustrated with everyone dancing around the subject. Edward sighed.

"Fine, Em."

Emmett grinned. "Here's the thing, Naomi. One, you are a newborn vampire. Volatile, strong, unstable and deadly. You seem to be fine, and that's a good thing. But blood is blood. Secondly, you have the power to destroy a clan of ancient vampires that has ruled for thousands of years and has not been defeated in a century. That's a pretty intense power. So we don't want to make you angry in case you accidentally zap us with whatever power you've got."Emmett smiled lazily. Silence followed his explanation.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Naomi said, sickened. She was frightened of the potential she had to cause them all harm.

"It's only the wolves we have to worry about." Rosalie said. "We'll be fine." Raised voices could be heard from the floor below.

"This is it. I'm going up there." Seth said firmly.

"Seth, that's stupid." Jake replied. "What's the point of having Naomi forever if she's going to kill you?"

"She won't kill me." Seth said simply. "I'll be fine."

"You're such a numbskull." said Leah disgustedly.

"That's not helping, Leah." Jake shot back.

"It's going to hurt her." Edward said sharply. The creaking on the stairs halted.

"It doesn't matter." Naomi said trying to remain patient. It wasn't easy. "I have to get used to it. It's going be like this for the rest of forever."

"You may not be strong enough to resist him." Alice pointed out.

"I can smell his scent and hear his heart. I'm not going to attack him." Naomi assured everyone, trying to keep her voice controlled. "Can't you see that?" Alice shook her head.

"I can't see the wolves." Naomi didn't understand, but she didn't want to waste time questioning Alice. She turned to Edward.

"Edward, I _need_ him. You understand that, right?" Edward hesitated. Then he sighed.

"Okay. Let him come up. It's his choice."

"Wait. If I tried to hurt him, would you be able to stop me?" she asked. Her voice, had it not been one of a vampire, would have quivered in fear. Maybe she didn't understand how dangerous she was. She _felt_ dangerous. She could feel her strength coursing through her veins. She felt light on her feet, agile.

"It would be our pleasure." Emmett said with an evil grin.

"We're going to make sure it doesn't come to that, Naomi." guaranteed Carlisle. "They're just going to make sure you don't get too close, alright?" Naomi nodded. Jasper, Emmett and Edward flew to her side and held her arms in place. She clenched her muscles and breathed in the scent of Seth in the room.

"Okay. I think I'm ready."


	25. You Trust Me, Right?

"Okay, I'm ready." Edward, Emmett and Jasper tightened their grip on Naomi. Their unbreakable grip didn't hurt her as a grip this tight normally would. A grip this tight would break human bones like brittle twigs. This she all noted in the back of her new, more brilliant mind. She focused the remainder of her attention on the door. She could hear Seth walking slowly down the hall. Giving her time to adjust. She took measured breaths, but felt no relief in taking them. How peculiar a sensation. She took another breath, and the smell of werewolf assaulted her nose. It burned in the strangest of ways. A true pain, like fire was dancing in her throat and nose. And also like wet fur. That was a substantially less painful smell. The smell of blood was… _off_ to Naomi's new instincts. This wasn't what blood was supposed to smell like. It attracted her, to an extent, but barely felt an urge to taste it.

"It's incredible." muttered Edward in fascination. "You truly don't want his blood."

"It's different. It doesn't smell like it should." explain Naomi, not breaking her gaze from the door.

"Even then," Edward insisted, "there should be far _far_ more-"

"Edward!" Bella hissed.

"Sorry." Edward apologized to Naomi. She went to wave her hand, but realized it was being held by Jasper. _Apology accepted_, she thought. Seth halted outside the door. He tapped it tentatively with a finger before pushing it open. He stopped dead at the sight of Naomi. He took her in, her pale granite skin, long, almost auburn hair that fell in luscious waves down her back, her glowing red eyes.

"I'm sure it's…quite a change." Naomi said haltingly. "On the plus side, I guess I'm more beautiful. And sort of indestructible." At this she gave nervous laugh.

"You were _always_ beautiful." Seth said fiercely. Naomi ducked her head, embarrassed. She anticipated the heat that would rush to her cheeks, fresh flushes of colour that never came. Seth took another step towards her.

"Seth." Edward said warningly. The room was completely silent. The silence made Naomi nervous. She could feel the tension in the air. To human eyes it would appear that the remaining vampires were standing idly by, but to Naomi's sharp vision, she could see the slight changes in their posture. They leaned forward slightly, resting on the balls of their feet. They were ready to spring. "Seth, you shouldn't push it any further. She hasn't drunk yet, she's a brand new vampire. You don't understand how dangerous she can be." Edward sounded frustrated at his inability to convey the peril to his brother.

Naomi yearned for him. Not for his blood, no, she seemed to be able to resist that. She wanted to feel his warmth lick her icy skin, feel the embrace of his body pulling her close. Simply feel his _presence_, simply _be with_ him. Near him. Hold him. She felt it with every fiber of her being. The ache, the nearly indefinable pain she felt. Edward released his grasp, shocked. He took several purposeful steps back. He was focused half on the present and half elsewhere, reliving a memory. His golden eyes were narrowed in concentration.

"Jasper." Naomi said. She twisted and looked straight into his suspicious eyes. "You know I'm alright. Your powers tell you that much, and intuition tells you the rest." He faltered. His grip loosened. "_Please_." She was begging now, unable to bear it much longer. He was so close. Emmett released her, as did Jasper.

Naomi flew into Seth's open arms and felt his heat caress her body, emanating in almost visible waves. She closed her eyes and felt Seth pull her tighter. She never wanted to let go, and she felt elation unlike anything she had ever felt when she realized she would never have to.

Naomi heard Alice dart out of the room. She was impressed she could tell who it was, even with her eyes shut. All the vampires had different scents. Naomi had apparently already memorized them, although she couldn't recall actively doing so. It must be instinctive. Alice reappeared and Naomi broke away from Seth, her head cocked in confusion. Alice carried a big mirror, nearly floor to ceiling. The reflective side was turned away from Naomi.

"Don't you want to see what you look like?" Alice asked. She huffed angrily. "Why does no one ever ask for a mirror?" Bella and Naomi exchanged amused grins.

"If it will make you happy, Alice." Naomi replied.

Alice beamed. "I knew you were going to be a great sister." She spun the massive mirror with ease and set it in front of Naomi, leaning it against the wall so she could see her reaction. Naomi's hands flew to her mouth in shock. She traced the purple circles beneath her eyes with a finger, eyes running over her paper- white skin and almost red hair. It tumbled thick and wild like a waterfall down her back. She was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. That was a given when becoming a vampire, however, Naomi felt a small amount of satisfaction at the realization. But she looked at the reflection of her eyes in the mirror, red like fire, burning, angry, like the deepest circle of hell-

"Actually," Edward interjected his velvety voice soothing. Naomi tore her eyes away from the frightening changes. "Dante believed that the closer one got to the centre of hell, the colder it became. The devil is trapped in the innermost layer, frozen in a great lake of ice." Naomi snorted quietly. _I know you only said that to distract me, _she thought.

He grinned wryly. "But it worked." Naomi let out a musical laugh. So it did.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

That night, Naomi and Seth sat in the living room with the rest of the Cullen's and the Clearwater's. She let the flow of conversation wash over her as she slowly adjusted to her new body. She could hear a lone car speed down the highway, the bark of a dog and the chatter of a group of, by her speculation, nine people. She could hear Nessie's heart beat, as well as the three werewolves. The sound was tantalizing, the scent was off- putting. She smelled like a vampire.

Nessie had gotten fed up shortly after Seth had come upstairs, and had demanded that Naomi smell her and get it over with. That hadn't gone over well. Naomi suppressed a smile. Jake had tackled Nessie, Edward had flown down the stairs to help Jake, and Naomi had decided the best thing to do was evacuate. So, holding her breath, she leapt out the window. Seth had followed her. After the chaos had simmered down, Jake and Edward agreed after Naomi had fed, Nessie could test Naomi. If Naomi felt up to it, that is.

Her first attempt at hunting was _messy._ And exhilarating. She had flown through the trees, leaped over fallen logs, all at a blinding speed. Blinding for a human that is. The Cullen's had had to be very careful to avoid the lingering scent of the volunteers who were searching for Naomi. They stopped their search for the evening, but weren't due to call off their search for three more days. Alice had seen it and Officer Raymond had confirmed it. So, avoiding the smell that might break Naomi's control, they had run far up the mountain and tracked deer. They were no match for Naomi.

Everyone had admitted that Naomi had more control than any newborn vampire they had ever encountered. Bella was happy to relinquish her title. So Naomi met Nessie, and there was no trouble to speak of.

However, this processing was taking only a minute portion of brain power. No, Naomi was focused on a significantly more important aspect of her vampirism. In fact, it was the whole reason for becoming a vampire. What on _earth_ could her powers be? And not so secretly, for it was much more difficult to lie to yourself when you're a vampire, she feared she might not _have_ power. Maybe Alice was wrong. Maybe there was another girl out there who was supposed to be in her shoes. Her immortal, beautiful, powerful, lethal shoes. It had all been too perfect- too wonderful- to be Naomi's destiny anyway. It was far more likely Alice had messed up.

"Don't let Alice catch you saying that." Edward said quietly. He and Bella sat beside Seth and Naomi on the couch. "Alice is never wrong."

"I don't know what it is that I can do." Naomi argued. "Maybe I can't do anything. You automatically knew you could read minds. Alice could obviously see the future." she looked uncertainly at Jasper. "I don't know how you knew." she admitted. Jasper shrugged.

"I just knew." he said simply. That made sense to Naomi. It seemed odd that she not know a facet of herself. Of her talents. It was like not knowing you knew how to speak another language, or not knowing you had the ability to run. It was intuitive.

"I didn't know I could shield." offered Bella. Naomi looked at her. "Eleazar told me I could."

"Who's Eleazar?" asked Naomi.

"He's part of the Denali coven. They're like family to us." Alice explained.

"Denali like Alaska?" Naomi questioned. Emmett nodded.

"He has the unique ability to sense other vampire's powers. Even humans who have nebulous power." Alice elaborated.

"I can call him. I'm sure he won't have any qualms about helping us. And meeting our newest family member." Carlisle said, smiling at Naomi. Carlisle stood and walked to the kitchen, dialing a number on his phone as he went.

"A coven usually means more than one." Naomi insinuated.

"There are more. Eleazar and Carmen met Kate, Tanya and Irina and became the parental figures to the three sisters." Edward paused. "One hundred years ago, during the fight with the Volturi, Irina was killed." Naomi bit her lip and her heart went out to the remaining sisters.

"You're leaving out important information, Edward." Rose insisted. "Irina was the reason the Volturi came for us in the first place. She thought Nessie was in immortal child." Naomi vaguely remembered the Cullen's telling her about immortal children. They were illegal. Taboo. "She realized too late that Nessie wasn't an immortal child, and she paid for her mistake with her life. The Volturi killed her."

"How horrible." Naomi breathed.

"Some good came out of that fiasco." Emmett said. "Kate and Garrett met. He joined their coven." The kitchen door opened and Carlisle rejoined the group. They looked at him expectantly.

"They're in northern Canada now. They'll be here late tomorrow." Carlisle checked his watch. "Later tonight." he corrected himself.

"All of them?" Jake asked in disbelief.

"They want to visit. You know how persistent Kate can be." Carlisle replied. Jake snorted angrily. "Don't worry, Naomi. Eleazar can help us."


	26. Denali

The Cullen's and Clearwater's did not appear at school. The halls were devoid of their awing presence, the parking lot empty of their flashy cars. Whispers shot through school like a disease, infecting, mutating. By now it was common knowledge Naomi was missing. The family stayed holed up in their lone mansion, Dr. Cullen only appearing to go to his shifts at the hospital.

Students volunteered to help sweep the woods. Some because they genuinely cared about the safety of their peer, even if she was only at Abbotsford High for a week. Others volunteered to get out of school. And some- these were the worst- volunteered because they couldn't resist the drama. They wanted to be the one to discover the body.

But nothing had turned up. There had been excitement when the police visited Naomi's house. Her parents had been strung out on drugs. The gossip mongers had seized upon this with rabid fascination. That had been days ago, and the story had spread and tired quickly. Word was that they were going to call off the search by Sunday. One week was all they could give a teenage girl who had been swallowed by the wilderness that surrounded them. So the town waited with baited breath for news about the girl who had appeared quietly in their midst, and disappeared with a bang.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naomi tried to hold herself still. She had the supreme urge to pace, anything to help ease the nerves that wracked her body. Night had fallen once more, but Naomi quickly found out that night or day made no difference to the Cullen's. When you didn't sleep, each day bled together. But Alice said the Denali clan were minutes away, and the anticipation and anxiousness that Naomi had felt all day- and night- had skyrocketed.

"Don't worry." Seth said soothingly. "They aren't going to bite." Leah rolled her eyes. She was tenser than Naomi, something Naomi chalked up to her dislike of vampires. Although how Leah managed to live with so many for so long was a mystery to her.

"I'm just not that good at meeting new people." Naomi said, her voice tense.

"No time for self doubt!" Alice exclaimed. Naomi heard the sound of a car race down the street and screech to a halt in the driveway.

"That'll be Kate." Emmett said. Seconds later there was a knock at the door. "You'd think after this many years they'd walk in by now." Carlisle opened the door.

"It is common courtesy to knock, Emmett." said an outrageously beautiful girl cheerfully. Her blond, nearly silver, hair blew dramatically in the wind.

"It's good to see you again, Kate." Carlisle shook her hand. A tall, long haired man also shook Carlisle's hand. "Garrett." Carlisle greeted. Garrett had a distinctly wild look about him. He took in the faces of the Cullen's and Clearwater's with eager golden eyes. The rest of the Denali clan appeared behind them. A man with a shock of black hair embraced Carlisle.

"It's been too long, Eleazar." Carlisle said smiling widely.

"How wonderful to see our Olympic family again." he said.

"Olympic?" Naomi whispered quietly to Seth. She half hid behind his bulk.

"From the Olympic Circle in Washington." Seth murmured. The two remaining women were also shockingly beautiful, one with rich black hair and one with strawberry blond curls. _Carmen and Tanya, _thought Naomi. Her family had given her a brief description of each member of the Denali clan, enough for her to identify them by name. Nessie bounded forward and embraced Carmen.

"I've missed you!" she exclaimed.

"I've missed you too, _bebé_." Carmen replied. There was an expectant pause in conversation.

"We would like to our newest family member." Carlisle said. Naomi stood awkwardly as all eyes zeroed in on her. Seth stepped deliberately aside so she would be in full view. She held on to his warm hand, remembering to be careful so as not to hurt him. Esme smiled encouragingly.

"Hi, I'm Naomi… Cullen." Naomi introduced herself haltingly. If the Denali's thought her relationship with Seth was alarming, they didn't show it.

"It's wonderful to meet you." Eleazar stepped forward to shake Naomi's hand. "Alice told us that she would meet a human who would have the ability, as a vampire, to defeat the Volturi."

"That would be me." Naomi said giving a small smile. "But I'm not sure what that ability is. Bella said that you identified her power." Eleazar was nodding thoughtfully.

"Yes. I can tell you what your power is." he frowned. "It's very unusual. I've never encountered anything quite like this in all my years. It could possibly be utterly unique. What the Volturi would do to have you…You have the ability to control the minds of others. Mind control. A very powerful gift. The strongest can manipulate the thoughts of many. And I would say you are very powerful indeed." The room was quiet. Naomi frowned. _Mind control_?

"Try it." Seth urged. Now the families eyed her warily, readying themselves for an attack. _What could I do that wouldn't harm anyone?_ Naomi thought to herself. She struck upon the perfect idea. A smile lit upon Edward's face. Alice grinned evilly.

"Excellent."

Naomi took a breath and focused on Emmett, who had long since fell out of the conversation and was now staring desperately at the television. _You want a hamburger_, Naomi thought. A look of confusion passed over his face.

"You need to mean it." Edward urged. Naomi nodded, centering her mind. She tried again. _You want a hamburger_.

"Man, I could really go for a burger." Emmett said longingly. "Not one of those pathetic thin ones, one of those really thick, juicy ones. With pickles." Everyone turned and faced Emmett, perturbed. They then looked to Naomi, who was staring opened mouthed at her brother.

"You did it!" exclaimed Seth.

"I did it!" Naomi echoed jubilantly. He swept her up in his arms and kissed her. Emmett growled ferociously.

"Aw Em, lighten up." Jake said punching Emmett lightly in the shoulder.

"Should have paid attention!" Naomi teased. Emmett leapt and put her in a headlock before Naomi could blink.

"Who should have paid attention now?" Emmett said playfully, mussing Naomi's hair.

"Mercy, mercy!" she cried, giggling uncontrollably. Emmett relinquished his hold.

"Success."


	27. 27 Hello and Goodbye

The story of Naomi's "disappearance" spread across the country. Missing posters were put up province wide. Tips were called in daily, although none ever came to fruition. Naomi hid out in the Cullen residence, occasionally hiding deep in the mansion when Detective Raymond came to give the family updates on the police search. He arrived for the last time on Sunday. It was a blustery day, the temperature dropping more rapidly every day. Naomi thought the air smelled like snow. She leaned out the open window in Seth's room, hiding from the Detective. It was also her escape route should the worst come to pass and he ask to search the house. Alice didn't see it, and Edward said they were not under suspicion. But a backup plan was always a good thing.

"I'm very sorry, but we're ending the search." Raymond said. His voice was heavy and weary. Naomi felt a flash of guilt for the stress she had placed on the man.

"Is there _nothing_ else you can do?" Seth pleaded.

"I'm sorry." Raymond repeated.

"Thank you for all that you've done." Carlisle said quietly. Here was rustling as the two men shook hands, and the sound of the front door being shut quietly. Naomi waited until she heard the car drive slowly down the street, sounding nearly as weary as the driver. She danced down the stairs where her family and the Denali clan were gathered. Alice tossed her a box, which she caught without blinking. She was impressed by her own sharp reflexes.

"What's this?" she questioned.

"Contact lenses. We need to get you some new I.D." Alice explained. Naomi peered in the box.

"They're yellow!" she exclaimed. "They make yellow contacts?"

"Who knows why." Emmett said, rolling his eyes. With little difficulty Naomi popped the lenses in.

"Careful." Bella cautioned. "They aren't painful, but they're annoying." Naomi frowned. Her eyes kept focusing on the tiny scratches on the lenses. It blurred her vision. Seth took her hand and led her to a blank wall.

"It almost looks like a passport studio." Alice said. "Excellent. Try not to smile." Alice snapped several pictures on the smallest digital camera Naomi had ever seen. "All done. You can take those out now." Naomi sighed with relief, blinking as her vision readjusted. Alice was already downloading the pictures onto a sleek looking computer. The printer hummed to life and three glossy pictures shot out. Alice gently fanned them out in her hands.

"Very nice." she said approvingly. She handed them to Carlisle.

"We have a contact in Seattle who makes documents for us." Jasper explained. That clarified things for Naomi. She had been wondering how the Cullen's and Clearwater's could keep traveling around with documents that said they were born centuries ago. That would cause some confusion. "Carlisle and I are going down to pay him a visit." Jasper had a slightly devilish look about him.

"He likes to frighten our guy." Bella whispered. Naomi couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

Carlisle and Jasper left the same day as the Denali clan, a week after they arrived. Mutterings about the Cullen's relatives left many of the townspeople wishing the mansion wasn't quite as remote as it was. It was harder to casually drive by while actually spying when it was the only thing for miles. Chances are Abbotsford wouldn't even notice that Jasper had left with Carlisle, who went to Seattle under the pretense of a medical conference. Neither the Cullen's nor the Clearwater's had gone back to school. This was mainly because they flat out refused, but also because it added depth to their story. In two weeks time, the family would be packing up and moving. Carlisle and Esme would tell everyone they were moving across Canada, to Newfoundland. Their children were having a difficult time recovering from Naomi's disappearance, and they hoped a change in scenery would help them. Alice retold her vision with supreme satisfaction.

That Wednesday night, Naomi and the rest of her family said farewell to Carlisle, Jasper and the Denali clan. Naomi was sad to see the Denali's go. It was nice having an extended family, and she sincerely liked all of them, although Garrett with his aura of restless energy frightened her some. At Kate's offer, Naomi had experienced her gift.

"_Try it." Kate had urged. Garrett had laughed._

_ "It's something all right." he admitted. "It won't hurt for long." Edward watched with a mildly amused expression on his face. Alice giggled at the future she saw. Naomi looked from Seth, who was vehemently shaking his head no, to Emmett, who egging her on. Never being one to shy away from challenges, Naomi hesitated only a moment before seizing Kate's hand. An electrical shock rippled through her, sending her instantaneously to the ground. Paralysis gripped her limbs, although she tried to fight it. It was only seconds later that it wore off, and Naomi leapt to her feet, unharmed, grinning from ear to ear. _

In turn, the vampires and werewolves alike tested themselves against Naomi's gift. Although she was only beginning to get a grasp on her power, no one but Bella could withstand Naomi. They found themselves doing the most peculiar of things, such as walking around on their hands. The things Naomi demanded of them were all in good humour, but it gave her-and her family- an idea of the danger she would be to the Volturi. There was no way to defend that type of attack. Unless you had shielding power, like Bella, of course. According to Alice, the Volturi were searching all over the world for a vampire with the same talent as Bella. Thankfully, they had yet to find one.

With the Denali's gone, as well as Carlisle and Jasper, the enormous house seemed much emptier. Naomi took the opportunity to learn all she could about the vampires they would be fighting. The ancient, powerful and deadly Volturi.

* * *

It was a peculiar thing, to not feel tired. Despite it being a week since Naomi joined the immortal world, there were some things that would take time adjusting to. Not needing sleep, for example. When the sun set and night's blanket fell across the landscape, Naomi expected to feel the pull of sleep calling her into unconsciousness. Unlike Seth and the other wolves, who slept anywhere, anytime, Naomi found herself at a loss of things to occupy her time. The vampires would drift off to their various hobbies. Some slipped into the thick woods, others curled up with thick novels in foreign languages. It differed night to night.

Two days after Jasper and Carlisle went to Seattle, Naomi was with Seth in their room, earphones resting in her ears. Seth was asleep beside her. Despite his astounding ability to sleep positively anywhere, he and the other wolves slept mainly at night. It felt more natural that way. Naomi frowned as she memorized the Gaelic phrases that poured from her headphones. She had found an iPod floating around. No one seemed to be using it, so she downloaded Introduction to Gaelic and loaded it onto the miniature music player. If they were going to live in Ireland, she wanted to be able to speak the language. Even if it _was_ only spoken in the remote areas.

A tap at the door startled her, and she quickly hit the pause button. "Yes?"

"Naomi, it's Rose. Can we talk?"

"Sure." Naomi lifted herself without jostling the bed and was at the door in an instant. She quietly pulled it open and slipped out. Rose didn't wait for further prompting.

"Do you remember what we talked about before you became a vampire?" she asked. Her golden eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

"Yes." Naomi replied instantly. As Rosalie had decided, Naomi decided not to forget. Forgetting meant forgiving, and nothing- _nothing_- was forgiven.

"I have a plan."

* * *

The kids gathered in an empty room. They had heard Rose being to lay out her plan, and the wanted to be there to hear it all. Esme remained downstairs. Talk of death was one thing, talk of murder was another.

The large room was bare of furniture, books, devoid of even a lamp, as were many of the rooms in the Cullen household. There were simply too many rooms to furnish, and it made leaving quickly very difficult. There were large windows to let in light, if darkness had been a problem for any one of the people in the room. However, night vision was just one of many gifts both werewolves and vampires possessed.

"The scum will be at a nightclub called Eyecandy in downtown Toronto in two weeks time." Alice began.

"This coincides with our departure from Abottsford to Sléibhte, Ireland. We'll all fly from Prince George," Rose continued, naming the nearest city with an airport. "to Toronto. There, Esme and Carlisle will fly to Ireland. We'll follow them after our _business_ is taken care of."

"We'll need to have a written letter of consent from Carlisle and Esme, as well as from the wolves' parents. Any one of us can forge those. Once we arrive in Ireland, we'll rent a car and drive to Sléibhte." Alice finished.

"Sounds perfect, Alice." Seth said, voice grim.

"Guys, wait. Wait. You don't have to come with me. It's going to ruin your departure- people are going to be suspicious. It would be easier if I went alone." Naomi said insistently.

"Naomi, look. You need to hear this." Edward began. Naomi looked at him with her ruby eyes. "Even if you didn't want to go after them, we would go in your place."

"We would for _you._" Rose emphasized.

"You're family now. Even if Seth hadn't imprinted on you, you would still be our family." Bella said, slipping her pale fingers through Naomi's free hand.

"And we don't like to hear that someone hurt our sister." Emmett hissed. The family exchanged dark glances.

"I would have gone with or without them." Seth whispered in Naomi's ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"I…I can't even begin-" Naomi struggled for words. "There's nothing that I can say that can explain… What I'm trying to say is thank- you." she paused. "It sounds so _paltry_ compared to what I feel." She bit her lip, at a loss for words. Naomi was suddenly enveloped in an embrace from Alice, followed closely by Nessie. There was tightness in her throat, and she let out a choked sob. No tears flowed, and Naomi brushed her fingers against her thick lashes in confusion.

"Vampires can't cry." Edward explained.

"Ever?" Naomi's voice came out rougher than usual, yet still perfectly melodious.

"Never." Edward replied. He smirked at his rhyme.

"Now for the waiting." Jake groaned. "That's always the hard part."

"Cheer up, Jake." Emmett grinned. "We don't have school, that's a bonus."

"Always." Jake said, high fiving Emmett.

"And in the mean time, I'll work on finding us clothes." Alice said.

"Alice, please. No." Edward groaned.

"What do we need clothes for?" demanded Emmett.

"We can't stand out in a club wearing _street_ clothes!" Alice said, with a mock horrified expression. Alice kissed Naomi's cheek and she, Rose and Nessie raced from the room. Silence took over.

"This is going to be horrible." Bella said flatly.


	28. Penthouse Suite

Naomi felt their descent far before the other passengers. Well, far before _most_ of the other passengers. Her and her family were seated comfortably in first class seats on their flight to Toronto. The flight had been long, nearly seven hours. Seven long hours. The Cullen's were rightfully worried about the flight. Naomi would be in a cramped airplane with no fresh air and the overwhelming scent of blood. But she was fine. If she felt herself becoming over whelmed, she held her breath and leaned in to inhale the scent of vampire, or werewolf. Both worked magnificently.

The plane touched down with a solid bump, and shortly after the Cullen's and Clearwater's exited the plane into the terminal. They brought no luggage. It was all being shipped to Sléibhte and would be waiting there when they arrived.

Toronto wasn't as cloudy as Abbotsford had been, so instead of risking a cloud break, Carlisle had book an over- night flight. People were moving blearily around the airport, half asleep. This was a plus. People were more likely not to notice anything out of the ordinary when they were not entirely conscious. But that didn't mean they were completely blind. Eyes widened when their gaze fell upon the beautiful family, but they looked away almost instantly. It was in common settings like an airport that the vampires and werewolves truly stood out.

"Are you all set?" Carlisle asked seriously. They nodded.

"Yes." Alice spoke for them.

"Come here, all of you." Esme smiled, holding her arms open for a hug. Emmett rolled his eyes and Leah looked vaguely disgusted, but the children hugged their mother none the less. "Be careful, all of you." she said sternly.

"As always, mom." Emmett replied.

"No, _not_ as always. More careful." Esme said firmly.

"We will be, don't worry about us." Edward smiled reassuringly.

"That smile doesn't work on me, Edward." Esme replied, but she looked more relaxed despite her insistence. "We'll see you in Sléibhte." The children turned to leave.

"Naomi?" Carlisle called. Naomi looked back, squinting through the contacts. "Make sure that this is what you want." Carlisle smiled his fatherly smile, and Naomi nodded.

It was strange, being alone in the city, soon to be alone in the country, on the _continent_, without parents. The Cullen's and Clearwater's looked like children, but this reminded Naomi that despite how young they look, they weren't normal teens. But Naomi _was_ a teenager, just sixteen years old, not as mature, or worldly, or wise as any of the others, despite her vampire status.

Jasper and Edward lead the way to the car rental that was conveniently attached to the airport. Jake and Rose talked seriously about what cars to rent. The automatic doors whooshed dramatically as they entered the rental. 'Cars on the Go' flashed irritatingly above the desk. The atmosphere became tense at once, and Naomi glanced at her brother. Jasper. Seconds later, the feeling was gone. Naomi looked around, confused. Bella winked at her. Of course, Bella was a shield. That was convenient. The man at the desk still seemed ill at ease. Bella wouldn't deny Jasper all his fun.

"We wish to acquire a car." Jasper said.

"Two, preferably." Edward added smoothly.

"Do you need-" the man began, stuttering.

"No, we know what we want." Rosalie smiled seductively. "Mercedes Earthquake with tinted windows. Both cars."

"I need you to fill out these forms." the man said, pushing two clipboards towards the family. His hands were shaking. "And I'll need some I.D." Bills appeared as if by magic in Edward's hand. _That won't be necessary_, Naomi thought. Edward turned to her and nodded his head in consent. Edward slid his I.D. towards the man, and Jasper, though confused, followed suit.

The man glanced at them for a moment before sliding them back. "Thank you."

"Impressive." Alice whispered to Naomi. Naomi smothered a pleased smile. The man handed Edward and Jasper two keys.

"Row twelve, spots four and five." the man told them.

"Thanks ever so much." Nessie said with a grin. The Cullen's and Clearwater's took another door into a dimly lit parking garage. They found their row with ease. Two large SUV's were parked there. The black paint was glimmering and Naomi could see her pale reflection in the windows. She blinked, and the contacts disintegrated. Wordlessly, Alice handed her a box of replacements from her purse.

Edward sighed, then tossed his set of keys to a triumphant Jacob. "Fine. This time." Jake unlocked the door to one of the cars, and Seth opened the side door. Naomi and Nessie hopped in, followed by Seth. If Naomi was human, she would have had trouble. The SUV was set high off the ground. Leah rode shotgun, and Jake started the engine. It purred contentedly.

Jake followed Jasper out of the car garage and into the deserted night that surrounded the Toronto airport.

* * *

Rose had made reservations at a hotel in downtown Toronto. It was massive and magnificent, bright lights shining on the sleek white face. The automatic doors slid open with a hiss, and their heels clicked and echoed on the marble floor. The lobby was spacious, with high ceilings and modern lighting. Naomi wondered if it had been chosen for its similarities to vampire décor. Seth pressed his lips to her temple, and Naomi smiled with pleasure. Rosalie approached the front desk.

"Hi, welcome to the Crown Plaza Hotel, how may I help you?" the poor girl barely made it through her rehearsed speech, she was so intimidated. Naomi tried to see it from her perspective. Eleven impossibly gorgeous teenagers checking into a hotel late at night would be rather astonishing.

"The reservation is under Rosalie Hale." Rose answered, clicking her nails against the countertop.

"The penthouse suite?" the words were out of the girl's mouth before she realized what she was saying. Rosalie raised an eyebrow condescendingly.

"It better be." she said coolly. Bella exchanged glances with Edward and rolled her eyes. Edward sighed pointedly. The girl fumbled with the key cards before placing them on the counter.

"Thank you." Jake said. Jasper pulled a neatly folded bill from his pocket and placed it on the counter. The family traipsed towards the elevators without speaking. Camera's dotted the lobby, elevators and every floor. They chose not to speak, should something slip out that would alarm security guards. Like their lust for blood, or the murders they planned. Anything that would seem even more out of the ordinary than teenagers renting a penthouse suite. It seemed to Naomi that the Cullen's were losing touch with what ordinary was. Their flashy cars they took to school, the even flashier ones they didn't, their mansions and their children. Their story was becoming hard to believe. There was a ding as the elevator doors opened, and the family glided in.

"We know." Edward murmured too quietly for a camera to pick up. "When you live like this for this long, reality becomes warped. We make exceptions because it is one of few indulgences. Family is all that we have, in the end." He chose his words carefully. Edward leaned forward and whispered quietly in Naomi's ear, "Everyone dies and we move on, unchanging. We leave one town after another, and everyone will forget the Cullen family. It will make sense when the centuries pass and you see it change." Naomi nodded solemnly. She did get it, sort of. Family mattered, even if it made them stand out. The slight oddities, the curiosity aroused at their arrival in yet another small town meant nothing in the span of their lifetime. It left Naomi with an odd hollow feeling.

The elevator dinged for the twenty- eighth floor, and the doors reopened to a hallway. A door was set into the wall opposite the elevator. Jake checked the room number.

"This is it." He removed a key from the small envelope and slid it into the door. There was a pause, then it flashed green. He entered and held the door open for the rest of his family. Naomi's jaw dropped as she took in the pristine white walls and dark oak furniture. She walked to the windows and looked down at the ground below. Floor to ceiling windows provided an amazing view of the city lights, twinkling like brightly in the darkness. She could hear Emmett race up the stairs behind her. There was the sound of air flowing, and Emmett landed soundlessly beside her, having leapt from the second floor balcony. He glanced out the window.

"Cool view." He tossed the words over his shoulder. He had already become distracted with something else. _Someone _else, for that matter. Naomi smelled Seth's scent on the air, then felt his arms slip around her waist. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his solid form. She smiled as Seth trailed kisses down her jaw line and neck, following the sharp angle of her shoulder blade. His lips burned warmly against her icy skin.

"Hey you two, keep it PG." Alice winked at Naomi. Naomi laughed and followed Alice to the chocolate coloured couches where the rest of their family was gathered. Time passed slowly when sleep couldn't speed it up. Leah, unlike her wolf brothers, found a bed upstairs and crashed in it.

Eventually the sun peaked over the city skyline, and the family prepared themselves for a new day. Alice wanted to go shopping. That would take a whole _lot_ of preparation.

* * *

If you want to check out what I imagined the hotel to be like, follow the link here .com/cosmopolitan-penthouse. I _promise_ it's a link to a hotel and not something worse. Plus, no copy write intended, yada yada.


	29. They Say I've Got Nothing to Fear

Hey guys, sorry for the delay. This one took some time. For the full effect, please listen to Put Your Lights On by Santana here: (.com/watch?v=q5a0OAtzrXE). Just type in youtube before the .com. For some reason it won't allow me to copy/ paste the link.

Enjoy and review!

* * *

The sun had long since set. If Naomi's heart still beat, it would be beating like a drum against her breastbone. She rode shotgun in one of the black SUV's, watching the city lights flash by and listened to the sound of Toronto's nightlife. Seth drove, one wrist draped lazily over the wheel. His carefree posture clashed with the tension that riddled the car, stifling and dominating. The rest of the wolves, joined by Nessie '_An honourary wolf_' as Jake liked to call her, sat silently in the back. Seth broke the silence.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to do this. No one will think any less of you or hold it against you." Seth said quietly. His voice was level, but there was a touch of urgency. He wanted to make sure his point got across.

"I need to, Seth. I've made my decision." Naomi's voice was steady and detached. It frightened Seth a little. She sounded so unlike herself. They continued in silence, following the second SUV in front of them.

Edward pulled into an underground parking garage and Seth followed suit. The sound of tires on concrete was the only sound. Alice slid out of the passenger's seat, adjusting her tight purple dress. Naomi's high heels echoed in the cavernous space. She smoothed her skintight silky red dress. She had never been to a club, but apparently skimpy clothes and skyscraper heels were what people wore.

"Ready?" Rose asked. Naomi nodded. Emmett slung his arm casually over Rose's bare shoulders and the pair led the family out of the garage. Naomi felt Seth's fingers twine with hers, and she drew strength from his warmth.

They emerged onto a dark street, lined with shops and clubs. The street lights cast a curious glow upon the pavement. The sidewalk was teeming with people, buzzing, drunk on cheap liquor and the intoxicating atmosphere. The crowd parted at the sight of the flawless immortals walking in their midst. Conversation dropped to uneasy whispers. Naomi saw Edward's gaze settle on a pack of young men, and she was thankful that she didn't possess the power that he did.

The air was brisk, no longer autumn and not yet winter. The cold had no effect upon Naomi. It didn't feel unpleasant, as it should, nor did it feel warm. They followed Emmett and Rose down the final street and halted in front of a dingy club. The florescent lights read '_Eyecandy_' in flickering letters. People loitered around the outside, taking long drags from foul smelling cigarettes and three large men- bouncers- flanked the door. Before anyone could make a move, Naomi stepped forward.

"I think you'll find our I.D. in order." she said with a sweet smile. Her smile didn't match her deep red eyes, focused and malicious. She flashed her I.D. and the bouncer nodded. The others followed suit. Naomi entered the club first, eyes scanning methodically. The interior was darkened and colourful lights flashed rhythmically throughout. Some unidentifiable music blasted from floor to ceiling speakers, the base pounding like a heartbeat.

"The bouncers-?" Jasper questioned.

"They've already forgotten that we were here." Naomi replied, not taking her eyes from the room. Alice closed her eyes.

"They're in a back room. Follow me." The family followed Alice along a back wall, trying to remain hidden and unmemorable in the shadows. Alice turned suddenly down a nearly invisible hallway and paused briefly before opening a door and taking the staircase upwards. The scent of human blood was suddenly much stronger, and Naomi could hear a heartbeat quicken. He could hear their footsteps and an unconscious part of his brain was screaming danger. He shifted nervously.

Naomi took the lead, proceeding confidently towards their destination. The guard was turned to face them when they appeared. Sweat beaded his temple and his muscles were tensed to flee.

"You aren- aren't allowed to b-be up here." he stuttered.

"Oh, but I think we are. We have something to… _deliver_. And I'm sure he would be _very_ unhappy if he didn't get it." Naomi whispered seductively. The man swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing. He opened the door to let them pass. Naomi turned back to face him. "There's something that requires your urgent attention downstairs." The man nodded and hurried off.

"Well _done_, Naomi! It's fascinating, really. She did something so that he could only see the

girls-" Edward began.

"Edward, later." Alice hissed. Naomi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She faced left, and opened her eyes. She walked unhurriedly down the hallway, zeroed in on a single door. Seth followed closely behind her, eyes dark and dangerous. Naomi thought of nothing but revenge. She wanted to hear them scream and plead with her for their lives until their voices were hoarse. Until they didn't have the will to beg. Just as they did to her.

She rapped on the door. There was confused silence within the room, followed by whispers.

"Who is it?" a voice demanded.

"A present." Naomi replied suggestively. A man approached the door and wrenched it open, holding a gun in one hand, pointing it at Naomi. His mouth dropped, and his hand fell to his side. His three friends had equally enamored expressions. Naomi walked slowly inside, heels clicking against the wood floor. The others entered behind her, the werewolves slightly shielded by the more impenetrable vampires. All except Seth, who stood centered by his family. The y filed in one long line in full, overwhelming view, blocking the exit. The men's eyes shifted in confusion from Naomi to her family. Naomi followed their gazes.

"Don't mind them. They're only here because they love me. They won't hurt you." Her words and her body grabbed back the men's attention. She trailed her fingers along the edge of the mahogany table, leaving deep grooves in the side. The room was filled with the sound of scratching and the tap of heels. The men watched her, enraptured.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked. "I look quite different. I won't hold it against you if you don't remember me… _much_." She was met by silence. She let it hang for a moment, then walked to Seth's side. Their eyes met. She didn't need him to speak it out loud. _I love you, too_. "My name is Naomi." She faced the men, a frightening grin upon her face. "You raped me."

"No. No. I would remember-" The man stopped when he realized what he was saying.

"Oh _yes_, Darren, you did." Naomi said. Darren blanched at the sound of his name. "And I tried to send you to jail for it. Unfortunately for you, that didn't work out as I had planned. Welcome to Plan B." There was a pregnant pause, then a man reached suddenly into his jacket and pulled out a gun.

"Now Anthony, do you really want to do that?" Naomi smiled a smile brimming with false kindness. Anthony's hands trembled violently.

"Leave. Now." he spat.

Naomi sighed. "I'm afraid that isn't an option." The humans leapt as a single shot cracked through the air. Anthony's hands were shaking to such a degree his shot went wide. The men searched eagerly for signs of damage. The werewolves and vampires looked at Naomi , then back at the men. Naomi tossed something in the air and caught it between two fingers, putting it on display for the humans. It was the bullet, inches from hitting Seth before Naomi picked it from the air. She flattened it easily between her two fingers, then tossed it on the table where it bit into the wood and stuck. The men stared at it uncomprehendingly.

Naomi focused on Anthony. The gun in his hand began to rise to his temple, and he stared at it with fright. A moan lurched from his lips. His eyes were wide with horror as the gun pressed into his flesh. His lips moved, but no sounds came out.

"What the hell?" another said. His voice skittered up several octaves. "What the _fuck_, man? Put the gun down!"

"I can't, Keith." Anthony cried. He struggled for a moment, battling his body with no success. Keith reached for his gun. There was a click and he froze. Anthony cocked the gun and pointed it at Keith's head. Keith slowly raised his arms in surrender.

"Let's all settle down." Naomi suggested smoothly. "Take a seat, boys." Legs shook as the men returned to their seats.

"We're sorry." a man burst out, voice quivering. Naomi raised a delicate brow.

"Are you really?" she said amusedly. "I think you simply fear for your life. As you should."

"You see, boys," Rose said, walking towards Naomi. "We don't approve of what you've done to our sister."

"Not a bit." Emmett said menacingly.

"I have a question for you." Naomi said, turning on the terrified men. "What would you do if I asked you to pull the trigger?" Anthony slowly squeezed the trigger. Keith pressed his eyes tightly in anticipation of the shot that would quickly end his life. "Or what about you, Ian? What if I asked you to jump out the window?" Ian rose jerkily and proceeded to the window. He lifted the window pane and bent his knees, prepared to jump.

"And Darren? You're so fond of that knife of yours. What if I asked you to slide the blade deep into your heart?" Naomi said. Darren pulled out his knife and the blade hovered mere centimeters from his heart. The men were fixated on Naomi with a horrified fascination. "No, that would be too easy." She paused thoughtfully. "Here's the thing. You will never leave this room. Take a good, long look _gentlemen_. Go on, take a look. Enjoy your last moments. You may plead, and cry. You may repent and beg for mercy. I will not give it, because you did not afford me the same…. kindness.

"You deserve to die. I want you to know that before you head to hell. Know that this is retribution. Payment for what you have done to me. And to the others that did not speak out. You no longer have the right to live. So I have one last question." Naomi stared at them, memorizing their pale, sweaty faces with her cold red eyes. "What would you do if I asked you to stop breathing?"

There was no sound for a moment. Then the men's eyes grew wide with panic and their mouths gaped for air that could not be drawn in. Hands clawed at unobstructed throats and chairs clattered to the floor as they dropped to their knees. And one by one, the four men stopped moving. The sound of their hearts faded and heat left their bodies. Naomi surveyed them emotionlessly.

She then turned to face her family. Seth stepped forward and wrapped Naomi tight in his arms. She pressed her face to Seth's body and she felt his lips brush across her forehead.

He said, "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home."


	30. Welcome to the Emerald Isle

Hey everyone, sorry for the _massive _delay. Just so you know Sléibhte does not exist. It is made up, so use your imaginations a bit to create for yourself what it might be like. Check out the song Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root. It's a pretty cool song that I think goes well with the chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

The next day the Cullen's and Clearwater's checked out of the hotel and prepared for the long flight to Ireland. Naomi spent the nearly ten hour flight going over the previous night in her mind. She was frightened by the lack of remorse she felt for killing the men. _They were not innocent_, she told herself firmly. _They deserved it_. Naomi rested her head on Seth's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. She absently traced her finger over the lines on the palm of his hand. Her family dominated the cushy first class section of their large plane. An uneasy flight attendant brought them their meals, and they took turns sneaking to the washroom to dump the food, lest they be forced to actually eat some.

The plane touched down and Naomi gave a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable, but she was deeply anxious to see the Emerald Isle, but also to remove the yellow contacts which were driving her mad. And most of all begin her new life and truly join the world of the immortal. She hadn't even had the opportunity to consider forever. Forever was… infinite. How can you imagine the end of forever? She couldn't picture herself continuing, unchanged, forever sixteen. Maybe in fifty years, one hundred, it would all seem less like a dream.

Their plane landed in a small northern town by the name of Derry. It was still miles away from Sléibhte, their new home, but it was as close as they could get. One of the benefits of being in first class was the opportunity to disembark first, without having to wait- or be in such close proximity of humans in a stuffy cabin space. Naomi and her family were soon through the airport and at the car rental, which was, disconcertingly so, a repeat of their experience several nights before.

Naomi unrolled the window of their new car and closed her eyes as the delicious air wafted over her face. It was pure and sweet- she grinned to herself, for those were the words she would use to describe Seth. The air had hint of fog, casting a shroud over the hilly green landscape. They passed through the countryside, dotted with the occasional house and silo surrounded by farmland. Climbing yet another hill, Naomi got a brief glimpse of the blue- grey sea.

Though neither Jake nor Rose had directions on hand, they found Sléibhte without trouble, thanks to the vampire talent of photographic memory. It was a small coastal town set along the northern peak of Ireland. The fog had intensified to a dense covering, making it impossible to discern sky from fog. They drove through the town's center, paved with cobblestone streets. Shops lined the streets. Naomi could smell cooking bread and heard the light babble of conversation within the shops. They continued on, passing houses pressed tightly together until eventually, as though the town itself let out a sigh, the houses grew further and further apart. Naomi fixed her eyes on their destination. Their lone house stood at the furthest point away from town. It had once belonged to a wealthy noble who liked to take the odd vacation away from his post, while still reminding all those who could see that he was in charge. It had also belonged, more recently, to a member of a famous Irish rock band whose family wanted to sell the property after his death. The family had waited anxiously for buyers for years, but there had been none until Esme came across it. Now the vampires and werewolves would be by far the most interesting of the houses residents in all its history.

The cars trundled up the last stretch of the unpaved drive where they came to a halt in front of Esme and Carlisle who were waiting to welcome their children. Alice leapt from the car and hugged Esme warmly.

"What do you think of the house?" Esme asked excitedly.

"It's gorgeous." Alice replied. Everyone turned to inspect the house. It had large, arching windows that offered a breathtaking view of the landscape, as well as what could be seen of the town through the mist. The other's murmured their agreement. Carlisle smiled.

"I'm glad you approve. Come." They followed Carlisle into the house. Naomi was surprised when she saw the house was already fully furnished. She couldn't fathom how Esme had managed to decorate so quickly in the multi- shaded white she loved so much. Interestingly enough, Naomi found herself liking the clean, white style more as a vampire than she had as a human. She could appreciate the subtle differences in the shades of white with her improved vision, as opposed to her dull human vision.

"Now kids, there's no need to fight over rooms." Esme cautioned looking sternly at Nessie and Emmett.

"Sorry, Esme." Emmett grimaced theatrically. "It's just something we've gotta do."

"Bring it." Nessie taunted. She sped to the staircase with Emmett right behind her. There was a shredding noise, and Emmett found himself blocked by Jake, who had phased. Jake growled.

"Nice try, puppy dog." Emmett said and leapt high over Jake's head. Jake spun and neatly grabbed Emmett's clothes between his teeth, pulling him back. The werewolf and vampire fell to the ground in pile. Naomi looked at her brothers. She and Seth exchanged glances, and Naomi followed Nessie. Seth phased and ran after her. Leah followed Seth, and it wasn't long before Jasper, Alice, Edward and Bella joined in the fray. Shouts and laughter filled all corners of the large house.

Eventually, everyone retreated into their own rooms. Naomi and Seth shut the door to their room laughing with mirth. Neither had particularly cared where they would, well, sleep would be the improper word, but it would suffice for lack of a better one.

Seth pulled Naomi close and kissed her slowly on the lips. Naomi smiled, unable to stop it, and Seth lifted her and placed her gently on the bed. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply. She lost herself in his warm touch, and was startled by a knock on the door.

"Do you two mind waiting to christen the new house until later? I want to explore the town, and I want you both to come with me." Alice called through the door. Naomi's jaw dropped. If she had still been human, she would have been blushing furiously.

"Alice, you can see the future, you know that wouldn't have happened." Naomi sighed.

"Do I?" Alice retorted. Seth sighed, and in one smooth movement scooped Naomi into his arms, making her laugh, then placed her on her feet. Naomi tossed Seth his shirt and pulled her own over her head. She then opened the door and raised her eyebrow pointedly.

"Can we help you?" Naomi said impatiently.

"Yes." Alice said, ignoring the displeased tone. "I've never been here before. Let's go explore." Alice eyed Naomi critically and then ran her hand through Naomi's hair, smoothing it. "Much better."

"Only for you, Alice." Seth answered, kissing the top of Naomi's head. Alice ushered Naomi ahead and turned to face Seth.

"I'm watching you." Alice narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"I heard that." said Naomi dryly.


	31. Greetings From

Nearly three weeks after the vampires and werewolves settled in Sléibhte, Alice announced that they would have visitors. Days later, Carlisle's cell phone rang.

"Siobhan." Carlisle said warmly. "It's wonderful to hear from you."

"Who's Siobhan?" Naomi whispered to Seth. They sat on their carpeted bedroom floor, playing the card game that Rose and Emmett taught them. Naomi vaguely remembered seeing the couple play it before. It seemed a lot less complex now.

"She's the leader of the Irish Coven." Seth explained.

"There are vampires that already live here?" Naomi asked, surprised.

"Well, not _here_ exactly. They live further south." he answered.

"How many of them are there?" Naomi asked eagerly. She had never met any vampires outside the Cullen's, and the Denali's, of course. But they were practically family.

"Three." replied Seth. "Siobhan, Liam and Maggie."

"There are only three?" Naomi said in disbelief. Naomi heard the quick approach of Alice's footsteps. Jasper followed more slowly behind her.

"You have to remember, we're the exception." Alice said, perching on Seth and Naomi's bed.

"Vampires have a tendency to live in small covens, or alone." Jasper elaborated. "We aren't really a coven."

"We're a family." Alice grinned happily.

"Why are we so different?" Naomi asked quizzically.

"We think it's because we drink animal blood, as opposed to human blood." Alice explained. "It makes us more human." Naomi nodded thoughtfully.

"When are they coming?" Seth questioned.

"Four days." Alice replied.

Naomi smoothed her dress nervously and Seth smiled.

"Relax, sweetheart. There's nothing to be anxious about." Seth assured her. "You look amazing." Naomi rolled her eyes and returned Seth's kiss.

"It's just that I haven't met an _actual_ vampire before." Naomi said. Emmett growled.

"What? Are we not scary enough?" he demanded.

"Oh no, we definitely are." Naomi assured him. "But I haven't met a vampire who drinks _human_ blood."

"Don't let that bias you against them." Carlisle cautioned.

"I won't, don't worry." Naomi said confidently to him. She thought back to her ruby eyes and repressed a shudder. Her eyes had faded to somewhere between the golden yellow of her family and the violent red of the non- vegetarians. Naomi was fine with this. Anything was better than the demonic red.

She heard the sound of a car engine as it made its way up the dark, narrow road- they were nearly here. Naomi slid ever so slightly behind Seth. The car rolled to a gentle halt, and seconds later there was a knock on the door. Carlisle smiled reassuringly at Naomi, then opened the door.

A large, beautiful woman framed the doorway. Naomi could see her red eyes glinting in the night.

"Carlisle." She said affectionately. Her voice was musical, made even more so by her rolling Irish accent. She stepped inside and Carlisle kissed cheeks. Behind Siobhan were two others, a petite girl and a tall man.

"Hi everyone!" the girl greeted, her red curls bouncing enthusiastically.

"Hello, Maggie." replied Bella. "Long trip?" Maggie shook her head.

"Nothing in Ireland is far." she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"It's good to see you again." Esme said. "It's been too long." The Cullen's nodded their agreement.

"I don't think you've met our newest family member." Edward cut in smoothly. The Irish coven fixed their eyes on Naomi. "This is Naomi."

Naomi offered a small wave and a cautious smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Is she the one, Carlisle?" Liam demanded. Maggie scowled at her coven member. Carlisle nodded gravely.

"Indeed she is, Liam." The coven looked over Naomi with a new hunger.

"What is it that you can do?" Siobhan asked.

"I can make people… _do_ things." Naomi said heavily. "Eleazar called it mind control."

"How powerful is it?" Liam demanded.

"_Very_ powerful." Edward replied. Liam still looked skeptical. Edward glanced at Naomi questioningly. Naomi nodded. "Renesmee? If you could…"

"Of course." Nessie replied. She held out her hand invitingly, and the three visitors touched their fingers to her palm. The memory only took a moment, and the Irish withdrew their hands. They were no longer doubtful about her power.

"As you can see," Edward said. "She is able to make people override their most basic of instincts with little trouble."

"And control multiple people at the same time." Seth added proudly.

"Granted, they were human minds. But she is young, and she hasn't had the opportunity to test her power. Right now, we can only guess at the extent of her ability." Edward expanded. The group processed Edward's words in silence. _How powerful _could _I be?_ Naomi thought._ Carlisle and Edward said that powers get stronger over time_. She tried to picture herself in a decade, then two. She kissed Seth's arm lightly. She would be where ever Seth would be, and that was that. Really, the rest didn't matter.

"Please, won't you sit down?" Esme indicated to the couches in an adjoining room. They followed Esme's lead to the spacious room and arranged themselves on the many couches and arm chairs.

"So wolf- boy," Siobhan said to Seth, "I see a lot has changed since the last time we saw each other." There was a twinkle in her ruby eyes, and Naomi got the impression she was rather fond of Seth, like a doting aunt. A smile broke out across Seth's face- he was unable to contain it.

"Yes." he admitted. He kissed Naomi's hair and she grinned happily.

"Alright, cut the couple crap." Emmett groaned.

"Coming from you, Em?" Edward raised an eyebrow delicately. Alice snickered. Emmett mimed throwing a pillow and Rosalie scowled.

The flow of conversation changed, and Naomi listened to the stories the Irish coven had to tell. Maggie was the most interesting to listen to, as she told her tales with animation and theatrical flair. Time drifted by, unchecked by any of the immortals. 2:00a.m. meant nothing when you had no need for sleep. Inevitably, the conversation turned to a more serious topic.

"When is it, Alice? How long do we have to prepare?" Siobhan asked seriously. Alice grimaced.

"They're being tricky with the date. I can estimate five years, although that could change. They want to keep the fight out of Volterra. Naturally, we would like to keep it _in _Volterra." Alice explained. "We don't want to involve humans." Siobhan nodded, deep in thought.

"Who else is joining us?" Siobhan asked. She may as well have been asking about a lunch date in her casual tone. But Naomi sensed that her calm exterior did not match her true emotions.

"Eleazar and the rest of the Denali clan, of course." Edward said. "The Egyptian coven, the Amazon coven and the Romanian's, who would like another shot at taking down the Volturi. Also, we have been working on establishing contact with Nahuel in South America. His presence would distract Aro as well as contribute to our numbers. That's a total of-"

"Twenty- four." Maggie said grimly. "Not enough."

"It's not about numbers." Edward argued. "It's about skill. And Naomi has the ability to inhibit all of their abilities. With Bella and Naomi, there will be no need for a fight. It won't come to that."

"Aro is confident in the Volturi's abilities." Maggie said uncertainly.

"Their overconfidence will work to our advantage. Aro has never encountered someone like Naomi. He has no way to defend against her, because he hasn't found anyone with a shield like Bella." Edward countered.

"This hinges on our skill at using our powers together to overcome the Volturi." Carlisle said. "Naomi is certainly key to our plan, but she isn't standing alone." Naomi suddenly felt extremely nervous. If it was possible for a vampire to feel nauseous, she felt it now. Jasper shifted his attention to Naomi, tasting the change in her emotions. Seth glared at Edward.

"Let's discuss this at a later time, shall we?" Edward suggested. He received several odd looks, but everyone obliged. The topic changed, but the uneasy feeling still lingered in the pit of Naomi's stomach. She shifted closer to Seth, who ran his hand over her arm. She traced the lines on his copper palms, wishing that the grooves and divots really foretold a solid future, not the ever changing stream Alice told her about.


	32. not a real chapter

Hey guys. I want firstly to apologize because this isn't a real chapter. But it's important. Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a while. I've been sick with, you guessed it- the SWINE. Also known by its official name as the H1N1 virus.

On a positive note, I'm feeling better and will certainly not die. I tried writing some more chapters, but I've been too sick. I'm going to try writing some more tomorrow and hopefully have something posted by Saturday.

I hope none of you are sick, and please bear with me! The story's just about to get good!


	33. January 7th

Hey everyone! So I have completed the _longest_ chapter so far. Hope you like it. For added enjoyment, check out _Chelsea Dagger_ by the Fratelli's here: .com/watch?v=clhOnZRrmXc

Time passed too quickly. The Irish coven came and went, with promises of meeting again soon. The constant drizzle transformed into a blizzard of heavy white snow that covered the lush landscape. Christmas flew by, as did New Year. Dread fell over the household as night turned to day once more.

The werewolves and vampires had been enjoying their well deserved, much needed break from the monotonous drone of high school. With the start of the new semester, they were forced to resume their roles as average students. It was a role they were all too familiar with, although they were not pleased by it.

The clock rolled to January 7th, and Naomi heard a sound from down the hall. She heard the soft footfalls of a vampire moving about in Alice and Jasper's room. She could hear Alice muttering to herself under her breath.

"Is that Alice?" Seth asked quietly. It was a rhetorical question, for both Naomi and Seth could hear perfectly clearly. "What's she doing?" Naomi listened carefully. She inhaled deeply and narrowed her eyes.

"Please tell me she isn't picking out clothes for our first day of school." Naomi sighed. Seth chuckled under his breath.

"I can hear you." they heard Alice say stoutly. Naomi froze. "Yes, I'm talking to you. Come and help me. We can't be too matchy, but there are only so many colors that complement our skin tones. That goes for you too, Seth."

"Not a chance." replied Seth.

"See you in the morning, Alice." Naomi said firmly. "Besides, we trust you."

Edward, Bella, Rose, Emmett, Naomi, Seth, Nessie, Jake and Leah stood dutifully in a line. Alice paced back and forth in front of them while Jasper watched, amused, from the sidelines.

"You have all disappointed me." Alice began. "Not _one_ of you chose to help me last night. Except you, Jazz." Alice assured. "Your own _sister._" she continued. She glared at Rose, who raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Can we get on with this, Alice?" Edward asked.

Alice sighed painfully. "Okay. I have taken the liberty of choosing your back to school outfits because A, it's fun, and B, we need to start facing the fact that _some_ of us are less than talented in the fashion department."

"But-" Bella interjected.

Alice held up a finger. "Ah! Not a word. Right, so here are the rules. One, some items are swappable, within limits. Two, jeans are _off_ limits for girls. Period. At least for today. So, without further ado-" Jasper opened the closet doors dramatically. Complete outfits hung on hangers. Jewelry sparkled and matching shoes and complimentary purses rested on the floor.

"Well done, Alice." Naomi said, impressed. It really was a masterpiece of fashion. Alice beamed and started directing her siblings to the appropriate outfit. Naomi gathered her clothes in her arms, and rolling her eyes playfully at Seth, the pair followed their brothers and sisters from the bedroom to their own.

"No distractions!" Alice called after them.

"Yes Alice!" Nessie sung.

Smiling to herself, Naomi pulled on her dress. It was a deep purple, with capped sleeves. The top part was a darker silk that ended at her sternum. Alice had also given her thick woolen tights in a rusty brown shade. She slipped on her shoes. She would never admit it to Alice, but she quite liked the Mary Jane pumps that complimented the tights perfectly. The shoes had a thick heel and were made of both shining patent leather and soft suede.

"You look gorgeous." Seth complimented.

"You say that all the time." Naomi replied, kissing him. A smile grew on her face.

"I can't help it." Seth said lightly. "It's always true." They kissed again, then broke apart. Seth handed Naomi her knit cream cardigan and the pair made their way back to Alice and Jasper's room for inspection. Naomi admired Seth from the corner of her eye. He wore jeans and a forest green shirt that highlighted his copper skin. They met the rest of their siblings in the hallway, and Bella and Naomi rolled their eyes ruefully at each other.

"Do we meet your approval, Alice?" Edward questioned. Alice scrutinized the group for a moment.

"Yes, you do." Alice said, sounding satisfied. "I did a good job."

"As always." said Nessie.

Jasper checked his watch. "We need to leave if we want to get to school on time." There were scattered sighs, but the family traipsed down stairs.

"You all look so wonderful!" Esme gushed.

"Do we need a first day of school picture?" teased Emmett. Esme hit him gently on the arm.

Soon, as Naomi anticipated, fighting ensued over who would drive. Naomi, as well as Seth, Bella, Nessie and Alice removed themselves from the competition. Seth didn't care enough to get involved and Naomi had never driven in a country where you drove on the left side as opposed to the right. She didn't care what her Irish driver's license said; there was no way she was going to be responsible for totaling one of her family's cars. After much debate, Leah, Jake and Rose were in possession of keys and all had self-satisfied looks upon their faces. The vampires and werewolves retrieved their unnecessary winter coats from a large closet then stepped out into the snowy outdoors, waving goodbye to Esme. Carlisle had taken the night shift at the local hospital and had not returned yet.

All the sports cars were tucked safely under soft blankets for the winter season, but there were larger luxury SUV's with winter tires in their place. Seth steered Naomi towards one of them and Jasper hopped in the driver's seat. Alice slipped in the passenger's side. Jasper led the parade down the winding driveway and into town.

"Why are you so nervous?" asked Jasper.

"I haven't been to school as a vampire before." Naomi reminded him. "I keep going over all the tips in my head. Keep moving, fidget…"

"You're not going to hurt anyone. Don't worry." Alice said confidently. Naomi grinned.

"Thanks, Alice."

Fifteen minutes later, the family pulled into the parking lot, tires crunching over the crisp snow. The lot was mainly devoid of cars- the school had a bus that retrieved students from their homes. Naomi grinned at the thought of the vampires and werewolves riding a yellow school bus. She opened her door and the strong winds ruffled her hair. The air should feel cold, just as snow upon her bare skin should burn, but she was pleased to find that as a vampire, such things as -25 degree weather was no longer a nuisance.

Her heel dug into the layer of snow and ice that covered the pavement. Had she still been human, she would have refused to wear high heels. As a vampire, however, it appeared that she was immune to such simple things as gravity.

She reached for Seth's hand, still shocked at the intense heat that flowed from his skin. They exchanged smiles and joined the rest of their family as they entered the school. Thanks to the internet, they had memorized a map of the school. It appeared as though they had entered through a lesser used door. The cafeteria, where it seemed kids all around the world convened before class, was located on the opposite side of the school, which was a blessing.

The school was small, which matched the town's population. The town was, however, big enough to have both a primary school and a secondary school. Naomi and her family held whispered conversations in pairs of two or three as they walked to the main office, where the needed to retrieve their schedules for the semester. Naomi could hear the sound of voices wafting down the hall. She smelled the repulsive scent of coffee and muffins.

As they walked past the windowed office to the door, the conversation ceased almost immediately. Jaws dropped, and the hearts of men and women alike raced. Emmett opened the door and held it open for the rest of his siblings. They filed in and waited for the administration to speak. Eyes blinked slowly.

Edward finally spoke. "We are new students registered here for the spring semester. I believe you spoke with my mother on the phone?" His voice was velvety smooth, and more than one heart sped. Naomi exchanged a quick glance with Bella, who looked amused. A woman cleared her throat.

"The, uh, Cullen's and the Black's?" she stammered.

"That would be us." Jake said.

"Right… Of course- okay." she fumbled for a thin stack of paper and handed it to Edward. "These are your schedules. If you lose them, we can reprint them for you. I don't know all your names and faces yet, so do you mind giving those out? We've also assigned guides for your first day. I'll just page them now."

"That's kind, but I'm sure we won't have any trouble." Edward said persuasively.

The woman blushed. "No, no, I insist. It's no problem at all." _Edward, _Naomi thought, _should I…?_ Edward shook his head slightly. Naomi was relieved. Large, important things, she didn't mind, but there wasn't _too_ much harm in following a human around all day. The woman picked up a device that resembled a phone and pressed a button. "Could Cassidy Finnegan and Aden Caelan please report to the office? Cassidy Finnegan and Aden Caelan, to the office." Edward began sifting through the papers and distributing them to the correct person.

"Cassidy is a fifth year student, like some of you are. She'll be showing the fifth years around. Aden is in the fourth year and will be showing the fourth years around." the woman explained. Naomi heard the sound of footsteps and turned to face the door when it opened. Two nervous looking students stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"You called for us, Mrs. O'Donnelly?" Cassidy asked. Her voice trembled slightly, and Naomi felt a stab of pity for her. She was classically Irish, with flaming red hair and splatters of freckles across her face.

"Yes Cassidy. These are the student's the two of you will be showing around." Mrs. O'Donnelly said. "Have a wonderful first day." The two humans exited and the Cullen's and Black's followed.

"So, er- if the fourth years want to come with me…" Aden said shakily. Naomi thought about smiling to make him feel more comfortable, but decided against it. They weren't here to make friends. That would be dangerous. Sighing so quietly human ears would hear nothing, the family separated to their respective groups.

Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Seth and Naomi filed into their first class. Though it was not purely accidental that they had most of their classes together, choice was limited. They had arrived early enough so that they could sit at the back of the class, which is where they wanted to be. The rest of the class came in after them, speech dying out as the humans caught sight of their new classmates.

The teacher arrived, a woman brimming with curiosity, Naomi could see. Apparently she had been warned of the odd, attractive nature of her new additions, because her expression was firmly blank.

"Now class, enough chatter." she said sternly. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Ms. Byrne. This is fourth year English, so check your schedule to be sure that this is where you belong. I'd like all of us to welcome the new students to our class." There was scattered applause, and Naomi was supremely glad that she no longer had the ability to blush. "Can you come up to the front and introduce yourselves?"

"Of course." Alice said cordially. Naomi stood and followed Seth to the front of the class, linking her fingers through his. A frenzy of conversation broke out as the class saw that each pair clasped hands.

"Hush!" Ms. Byrne ordered.

"I'm Alice Cullen." Alice started.

"Jasper Hale."

"Naomi Cullen."

"Seth Black."

"Bella Cullen."

"Edward Cullen." The class waited for more information.

"We moved here from Canada." Naomi offered. "Our adoptive father, Carlisle, is the new doctor at the hospital." There were murmurs. Apparently they had heard of Carlisle.

"My brother, sister and I are living with the Cullen's while our parents are in Africa." Seth said easily.

"We have four more adopted siblings in the fifth years." Alice elaborated. The quiet was somewhat uncomfortable. The class stared at the family, awestruck.

"We aren't all that interesting." Bella said. They had run out of acceptable facts to list and now waited for the okay to sit down and finish out secondary school in obscurity.

"We're glad to have you here." Ms. Byrnes told them. Addressing the class, she said, "Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, I have one." a guy said. He was broad shouldered, though substantially smaller than Seth, Jake or Emmett. There was cockiness to his voice that irked Naomi. "Are you all _dating_?" The class held its breath, and the teacher leaned forward unconsciously.

The siblings exchanged glances before Edward answered, "Yes." Babble of conversation erupted, and Ms. Byrnes didn't try to quell it.

"Are there any other questions?" Seth asked over the din. Stillness fell once again.

"May we sit down now?" Naomi asked politely. The teacher nodded. They walked unhurried back to their seats.

"That didn't go over very well." Naomi said under her breath.

"It never does." Edward replied.


	34. Welcome to the Glamourous Life

Class was… dull. That was the nice way of describing it. Although Naomi hadn't completed high school, unlike the Cullen's and Black's, she found she could pay attention to the class while another part of her brain wandered from the confines of the class. She could only imagine how horrid it was for her siblings, who had repeated high school far too many times for her to count.

The bell rang the sound of slamming books and shuffle of papers filed the class. Metal lockers banged and feet scuffed on hall floors. Naomi and Seth looked at each other, relieved. The family quietly gathered their textbooks and filed out of the class.

"So that was tortuous." Naomi murmured to Seth.

"First day is always the hardest." he replied sympathetically. Edward turned his head infinitesimally, then sighed angrily. Naomi heard the sound of quick footsteps on the ground. She turned to see their guide, Aden, dashing down the hall after them. Exchanging exasperated looks, the family paused and let Aden catch up.

"Hi. Sorry." His breath came with difficulty. "I had class on the second floor. Ready for lunch?" He asked expectantly. Naomi decided she would handle this one. She looked into his brown eyes. His heart quickened.

"Aden, thank you for your help. We can find our way from here. Go enjoy lunch with your friends." Her voice was smooth.

"Okay." Aden bounded off back in the direction he came without looking back.

"That was easy." remarked Bella.

"That's what she said." Emmett grinned. He and the others appeared beside them. He leaned close to Naomi. "Think you can take care of our girl?" Naomi focused on the girl, Cassidy. A split- second later she walked away, asking no questions.

"To the cafeteria?" Naomi asked. Jasper nodded.

Even without memorizing the map of the school, they would have had no problem finding the lunch room. The smell of greasy fries and cooking meat leaked down the halls and permeated the school. It was repulsive. Naomi realized that this would be their first 'public' appearance. Their class had fifteen people. Five of which were herself and her family. She had only attended three high schools, Sléibhte High being the third, but she knew that the hub of schools were always the cafeteria. The largest gathering of students in a single place. Naomi could almost smell the anticipation emanating from Rose. This was her thing, Naomi supposed. She loved to have people look at her. Envy her. And who wouldn't? Nessie was excited, too. She was a people person. Alice was indifferent and Bella was less than thrilled. And Naomi was… fine. Nervous, but that was in her nature. She wasn't one for attention.

The revolting smell grew stronger, as did the loud stream of voices. Rose and Emmett entered first and paused in the doorway, searching for a table. The chatter stopped like someone had flicked a switch. All eyes were fixed on the stunning sight of the eleven gorgeous teens in entrance of the cafeteria. The unnatural stillness lasted several long, awkward seconds before being replaced by a frenzy of whispers. Naomi was- once again- glad that she couldn't blush anymore.

The Cullen's and Black's ignored their peers and walked into the cafeteria. The sound of their heels rang through the room, and they struck quiet conversation between themselves. It made them seem more normal. They seated themselves and Jake and Leah volunteered to retrieve food. Eventually regular dialogue resumed, though it was mainly about the new arrivals. Those who had class with the family boastfully told what little information they knew, and it spread like wildfire. By the end of lunch there wasn't a teacher or student who didn't know the family's story.

"Just as we planned." said Alice, satisfied. She dumped the uneaten parts of her lunch in a consumer bin. The bell rang signaling the end of lunch, and the siblings parted reluctantly.

Naomi drifted through her last two classes. If it was more challenging to absorb what she was being taught, maybe she would be forced to pay more attention. She occupied herself by playing an intense game of hangman with Seth under the teacher's radar and reading through her textbooks. She found that she could read fast enough to appear to be skimming the pages. By the end of the day, she had finished two out of four textbooks. She was impressed with herself. Even math, which she struggled endlessly with before, was easy. She didn't need a calculator for even the most difficult equations, though she used one to keep up the façade.

When the final bell rang, the wolves and vampires left the school swiftly, cutting a swath through the crowds of students. Seth held open the door and bowed theatrically to Naomi who grinned and curtsied in return.

"So what did you think?" Alice asked Naomi over her shoulder. Jasper screeched out of the parking lot, followed by Jake and Rose. Naomi pitied the kids waiting in the cold for the bus.

"It was all right. Not hard, but not stimulating." Naomi replied.

Jasper smiled dryly. "Welcome to the glamorous life of the immortal Cullen family."


	35. Treaty Line

The school year passed in a frenzy. Naomi spent the day with her family, sitting through torturous high school classes, where minutes trailed slowly into hours. The rest of the school had gotten used to them, mainly ignoring the Cullen's and the Black's, who, in return, ignored their peers.

The nights sped by all too quickly. Some nights Jasper taught her how to fight, and she tested her skill against all her enthusiastic siblings. She also worked to control and expand her power. She felt pangs of guilt about this, however. She didn't like having that type of supremacy over the people she loved. However, her hard work was paying off. She could command all eleven (Leah had flat out refused to take part) of her family members while they fought her mind control.

Summer was in full swing in Sléibhte, which meant long days and short nights. Thankfully the cloud coverage was still heavy, but there was the odd day of sunshine, which confined the vampires to the indoors. It was on such a day that Alice foresaw an intriguing piece of news.

"Jake, Seth, Leah!" Alice called. Naomi looked up from her painting, a hobby she had taken up since becoming a vampire.

"Don't move." she warned Seth. He obeyed, not shifting in his position on the couch. Sun shone through the window and sparkled off her pale skin. "Seth's busy right now." she called back.

"Then we'll go to him." Alice replied. She hovered outside the door, hands over her eyes. "Is he decent?" Naomi rolled her eyes.

"Alice, you know he is." Alice stepped into the room, scrutinizing the scene before her.

"_Love_ the lighting." Alice commented.

"It's good, isn't it?" Naomi said proudly.

"What's up Alice?" Jake appeared. "Hey Seth." A smile quivered on Jake's face, and Naomi glared at him.

"No teasing!"

Leah sauntered in and raised an eyebrow at Seth. Naomi looked at Seth and shrugged apologetically. She couldn't talk to Leah like she could to Jake.

"Do you want to know what's going on or not?" Alice demanded her sibling's attention. They gave it. "Jason is going to invite you to the reserve. He'll email you the invitation in a couple of days, no more than three."

Naomi frowned. The name Jason tugged at her brain, but she couldn't remember…

"He's the leader of the Quileute pack." Jacob explained, noticing Naomi's confusion. "We try to do this every once and a while. We're the oldest werewolves in the history of the Quileute's." he continued, gesturing to his pack. "We get to tell the others our history."

That night, Seth and Naomi sat out near the cliff, savoring the sweet night air, a welcome change from flat, dead air in the house. They didn't speak, just listened to the sounds of crashing waves and the sound of rustling long grasses swaying in the wind.

"Naomi." Seth broke the silence. She turned her head to face him, brushing her hair from her face. His eyes fixed on hers, and he said, "This gathering… it means a lot to me, to my pack. Sometimes it gets lonely being the only wolves in a household of vampires. I know it would be difficult for you, and for the Quileute pack, but it's a big part of who I am." Seth laughed quietly. "What I'm trying to say is, will you come with me? With us?"

"Of course." Naomi said instantly. She would do anything for him. "Of course." Seth smiled and kissed her.

* * *

Two days later, Jacob let out a whoop.

"Never wrong." Alice remarked proudly. Naomi grinned.

"When is it happening, Jake?" Seth asked. Leah poked her head in the room.

"July 29th. Jake replied. "They want us to stay the week." The wolves readily agreed, and Jake began typing their reply. His fingers hovered over the keyboard. "Naomi, are you…?"

"Yes." Naomi said firmly. She squeezed Seth's hand.

"Yes!" came the echoing cry. It was Nessie. Jake and Seth exchanged bemused looks.

"I have to tell them you're a blood sucker." Jacob pointed out to Naomi. "They wouldn't take too kindly to _that_ surprise."

"I would have rather done that in person." Seth muttered. Jake grimaced.

"Me too, man."

"I wonder whether Alice-?" Seth began.

"Sorry, Seth." Alice materialized at the sound of her name. "The whole 'blind-to-werewolves' thing kind of puts a cramp in planning, I know." Seth shrugged.

"Nothing you can do about it. Don't worry."

"All we can do let them know." said Jake. "After that, the ball's in their court." Jake tapped away at the keyboard, explaining the situation in the most positive, non- threatening way possible. The Quileute pack had met the Cullen's, briefly. The pack was amiable, considering they existed solely to protect humans from the very creatures that stood before them. Of course they met Nessie, who had belonged to Jake- and vice versa- since before they were born. They accepted her more easily than they had the other Cullen's because she was only half- vampire. And she was under the protection of the oldest living pack leader. But no one could predict how they would react to a full vampire joining their celebration. All siblings could do was wait for a response. With each day that passed, the anxious feelings grew, and Naomi felt horribly guilty that she may have caused a rift between the two packs. Seth adamantly told her otherwise, and that made her feel slightly better.

The response came days later, and Seth, Leah, Naomi and Nessie huddled around Jake to read over his shoulder. Naomi held her breath, partially out of nerves, and partially because the smell of wet dog was _very_ strong.

The pack was hesitant, but willing to host a vampire for a week, even if Jason did use the term 'blood- sucker'. They appreciated the warning, as some of the wolves were struggling with control as it is. Seth, Jake and Leah shared a laugh, recalling their own difficulties with control when they were younger.

"Oh man." Jake sniggered. "When I first brought Bella to the reserve me and Paul went at it pretty bad. I won, no permanent damage, but man, it scared the _crap_ out of Bella."

"Did not!" Bella's indignant voice wafted through the floorboards.

"It so did." Jake whispered.

* * *

The last of the sun's rays were sliding out of sight as Naomi, Nessie, Jake, Leah and Seth approached the Quileute borders on foot. The wolves walked barefoot, and Jake and Seth had forgone shirts.

The scent of werewolves grew stronger. She couldn't identify who it belonged to, though she could tell it wasn't any of the wolves she knew. Through the trees she could see the figures of five strapping men, skin the color of copper, hair as black as ink. Like Seth and Jake, the five boys were also shirtless. Their expressions were impassive as they took in their visitors. Seth and Jake slipped surreptitiously in front of Naomi, prepared to defend her in case of an attack. They halted short of the treaty line.

Jason spoke first. As alpha, he was slightly larger than his pack members, in the same way that Jake was bulkier than Seth. "Jacob, Leah, Seth, welcome. Renesmee, it's good to see you again." Nessie nodded in reply. "And you're Namoi." he said, turning his dark eyes to Naomi. There was a growl from the Quileute pack, and they shifted, murmuring under their breath. Naomi could see Jake and Seth's muscles tense.

"Yes, I'm Naomi." she replied. Her voice sounded overly melodious compared to the flat voices of the wolves.

"Welcome." Jason said. "We don't let Cullen's cross the treaty line very often, but we are willing to make an exception for Seth, and therefore, for you."

"I appreciate it." Naomi acknowledged. There was a snort from the group.

"_Ty._" Jason said sharply. Naomi's gaze flickered to the boy whose hands trembled uncontrollably.

"She shouldn't be here." he said harshly. Naomi glanced nervously at Seth, who was focused intently on Ty. Suddenly the wind shifted, blowing Naomi's vampire scent towards the werewolves. Jason flinched, and she saw the wolves stiffen. There was a ripping sound, and before her eyes, Ty transformed into a wolf, violent snarls erupting through barred teeth. Leah yanked Naomi back, and Seth phased, now a hulking wolf with sandy fur. Naomi resisted the urge to drop into a defensive crouch. She raised her hands, trying to show she meant no harm.

"Control yourself, Ty." Jason ordered. The other two boys stepped in front of the wolf, speaking rapidly. Ty crouched, eyes locked on Naomi. Seth snarled warningly, and the sound reverberated in Naomi's chest.

"Ty, I'm not going to hurt you." Naomi spoke clearly above the mêlée. "I'm not going to harm anyone." He looked at her uncertainly, and confusion passed over his eyes. He straightened, shaking his head side to side. There was a pause, and he was human again standing naked and shoeless on the forest floor. Nessie breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry Naomi." Ty said remorsefully. "It's hard to control my emotions sometimes. I'm sorry to you too, Seth." Seth phased back instantly and grinned at the other boy.

"Don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us." The boys shook hands warmly.

"Not to break this up or anything, but could you put some pants on? This is getting awkward." Nessie stated blatantly. Jake snorted with laughter.

"We have other clothes back at the reserve." Jason said. Ty and Seth phased back into wolves. Seth touched his forehead to Naomi's and she ran her hand through his soft fur. She followed the Quileute werewolves and stepped over the treaty line.


	36. It's a Family Affair

Hey everyone! I hope those of you celebrating Thanksgiving had a good time and enjoyed the long weekend. Sorry for the inconsistency with the chapters, its getting kinda crazy with finals, etc. The next chapter will be longer. It will be about the campfire, like the one that Bella attends in Eclipse. So KEEP READING and email me with your thoughts/comments/ideas.

Alli

* * *

We walked as a group to La Push. Leah laughed at something one of the copper skinned boys said, and Jake and Jason were in deep conversation. Seth padded beside Naomi, his large paws surprisingly quiet. Naomi looked around awkwardly at her companions. As if Nessie heard Naomi's thoughts, she turned and winked. Naomi smiled back. Nessie was always so sociable. Instead of appearing the awkward, shy person she was, Naomi observed her surroundings with more interest than she actually had. They had not yet reached the houses, and tall trees grew lush. The grass, too, was thick and tall. Naomi supposed it was La Push's proximity to Forks- vampires never settled anywhere with half decent weather. She could hear the wash of waves along a shore, and in the fading light she could see the outline of a house. They had officially entered the town.

Without warning, Ty ran off into the forest. Seth nuzzled Naomi and whined. Naomi nodded, and Seth bounded off into the thick woods not far behind. She understood- they couldn't be seen. Naomi felt lost for a moment, but then a boy was there, bare chested and broad shouldered.

"Hi, I'm Gabriel. Gabe." he said, holding out his hand. To his credit, he didn't flinch at her icy touch.

"Naomi." she replied.

"So Seth imprinted on a vampire." he shook his head in mock sadness. "That blows our theory out of the water."

Naomi was intrigued. "What theory?"

"For a while, we thought that we imprinted on someone who would… produce the best heirs. To pass down the line." Gabe answered.

"But Nessie-?"

"We thought she and Jake may have been an exception." he explained.

"Well, if it's any consolation, Seth imprinted on me when I was still human." Naomi offered.

"Now see, that's interesting." Gabe said excitedly, like a dog with a bone.

"You like genetics?" Naomi asked.

"How can you not, when you're a werewolf? It's a genetic thing, but how did it happen? Is it only our tribe?" he theorized. "There are a lot of questions."

"A lot of questions." Naomi mused. "And not a lot of answers."

"Same thing applies to vampires. Sort of, anyway." Gabe said.

Naomi was seized by this. "Like who was the first vampire? Who created them?"

Gabe nodded. "Exactly."

"Are you two done your super serious talk?"Nessie asked, appearing beside Naomi.

"For you, Nessie." Naomi promised.

"Good, because we're here."

_Here_ was a house. It didn't look much different from the other houses. Like a house that sheltered mythological, potentially immortal, enemy- turned- ally creatures. Ty and Seth emerged from the house with new shorts. They were laughing about something and the sound fell upon Naomi's ears like music. She noticed his absence like an acute ache. They were only separated for eleven minutes and forty- three seconds, for goodness's sake. Seth locked eyes with Naomi and smiled. She smiled back, unable to stop if she had wanted to, because the sight was the most beautiful in the world. He walked towards her and wrapped a warm arm around her waist, planting a kiss on her head.

Naomi was then distracted by the sound of two heartbeats, fully human, unlike the wolves or Nessie. She cocked her head in confusion. She thought the werewolves were a secret. Two women appeared in the doorway with the same rich skin and dark hair as the wolves. One was distinctly older than Naomi, in her early to mid twenties. The other was only several years older than Naomi's seventeen. Gabe and Jason met them, kissing them without reserve. Naomi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Naomi, this is Mia." Jason introduced the older of the two women, the one who held tightly to his arm. "And this is Lily." The girl stared at the sound of her name. She had been staring at Gabe with shining eyes, nearly glowing in the night. Staring at the pair, Naomi wondered if that was how she and Seth looked. She could ask Nessie, she supposed. Nessie would show her. But Nessie would pry. The truth was, Naomi just wanted to know if she looked as happy as Lily and Gabe when she was with Seth.

"Nice to meet you both." said Naomi.

"Come inside everyone. Lily and I prepared some food. They're always hungry." Mia said conspiratorially to Naomi. Naomi hid a smile. True to her word, food covered the large wooden table, and the wolves wasted no time digging in. It was strange for Naomi to see food like this. At home, the wolves always ate whenever, whatever. There was never a meal time, and they never sat down to eat together, although Naomi heard Esme suggest doing so countless times.

Naomi listened to the two packs tell stories that had happened in the last years, some hilarious, some frightening. The hours passed quickly, and Lily fell asleep in Gabe's arms.

"I'm going to take her home." he said and lifted her smoothly. "Keys?" One of the other boys, Luke, snatched up a pair of keys and tossed them to Gabe, who caught them effortlessly in his mouth. He nodded and left the house. Naomi could hear the rumble of the car engine grow more and more quiet.

"I think we'll pack it in, too." Jake said. This seemed to signal the end of the night, and everyone rose. Goodbyes were said, and plans made, and the Luke and Dom departed.

"Thanks for putting us up, Jason." said Seth.

"Not a problem. Have a good night." Mia and Jason climbed the staircase and Naomi heard a door click shut.

"Come get me if you're bored." Nessie said and followed Jake into a room. Seth took Naomi's hand and led her towards the bedroom.

"Tired?" Naomi asked.

"Not a bit." Seth replied.


	37. The Grand Tour

Nessie and Naomi were sitting in Jason and Mia's living room, talking quietly when the sun first rays appeared over the trees. As if a clock had been set, Jake and Seth stumbled blearily from their respective rooms. Seth flopped beside Naomi and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning." Naomi murmured. There was a creak overhead, and Jason walked down the stairs carefully so as not to make too much noise.

"Good morning." Jason greeted. "Did you all- um." he caught himself. "Jacob, Seth, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks man." Jake replied gratefully.

"Can I get you anything to eat?" asked Jason. The boys nodded, but refused to let Jason act as chef. The three wolves set to work in the kitchen whipping up an enormous breakfast. The smell of cooking bacon nauseated Naomi, and she exchanged a glace with Nessie who mimed gagging.

"So what's the plan for today?" questioned Nessie as the boys ate.

"We thought we could take Naomi on a tour of La Push. You know, show her all the spots. Maybe tour Forks." Jake answered. Nessie snorted.

"A tour of Forks would last five seconds." her eyes widened. "Can we take her to-?"

"Shh!" Seth hushed. "It's a surprise." Nessie mimed zipping her lips. Naomi's curiosity was piqued. This should be fun. She was then distracted by the sound of soft footsteps, signaling that Mia had woken. She traipsed down the stairs, and for the first time, Naomi noticed the glimmer of a diamond on her ring finger. An engagement ring. Naomi was surprised at the jealousy that rose in her. She had Seth for eternity. Until the end of time. She didn't need a trivial symbol of their unending love. She caught Seth looking at her and offered him a smile. He smiled back, but his eyes were studying her, and she quickly looked away. Jason kissed Mia lightly.

"Are the others coming as well?" Naomi asked. Jason nodded.

"Lily as well."

"Obviously." Naomi said, grinning. Her head shot towards the sound of pounding footsteps. They sounded human, but were far, far faster than any human could run. It was Ty, Leah and Ethan. They were racing each other to the door. Leah won, and as she throw open the door, she was nearly glowing with pride.

"Beat you again boys_._" she taunted.

"Don't get used to it." Ethan threatened.

"Oh please, you couldn't beat me in a hundred years." she replied cockily.

"As if we got beat by a girl." muttered Ty to Ethan.

"Boys!" Mia scolded. They bowed their heads, chagrined. Seth and Naomi exchanged amused looks.

"Sorry." they murmured. Mia sighed, and apparently all was forgiven.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Ty and Ethan perked up at the mention of food and soon joined everyone at the kitchen table, inhaling food faster than Naomi thought possible.

"Don't feel bad guys. Leah can outrun Jake." There was a hint of pride in Seth's voice. "She's always been the fastest." The boys glowered, but underneath their fuming exteriors, they were only messing with Leah.

There was the sound of a car engine- Naomi could tell from the pitch that it was Jason's car Gabe had borrowed the night before. Moments later, Gabe and Lily entered the house hand in hand and joined the group in the kitchen.

Clean up was a quick affair, everyone flowing around one another like in a choreographed dance. The Quileute boys decided to forgo the tour of Forks, as they lived so close and it didn't hold the same history it did for Naomi and her family.

"But we'll meet you at the-" Ty began. Seth widened his eyes and Ty snapped his mouth shut. "Got it. Not a word." Naomi was even more intrigued, but didn't ask questions- Seth wouldn't tell her anything. In Jason's truck, Jake, Leah, Seth, Nessie and Naomi drove past Forks High School, deserted now, in the middle of summer. Naomi could picture some of the stories Bella and the Cullen's told her. She could see the van skidding across the icy parking lot, almost crushing the helpless human Bella, only to be saved by Edward- who nearly exposed the family for the vampires that they were.

They drove past the location of Bella's old house, the house itself having been torn down and replaced with a Greener one. Nessie touched Naomi's hand and showed her a picture of what it used to look like, and dozens of stories played out in her head. The time Jake cut himself, bloodying the kitchen. Edward and Bella telling Charlie they were getting married. Edward sneaking into Bella's bedroom window in the dead of night. She could now construct these tales, now more like movies, perfectly in her minds' eye.

They pulled in to the Cullen's still deserted house. The Cullen's still owned it, should they ever want to move back to Forks, hundreds of years later when everyone had forgotten the stunning, odd family that once inhabited the unsuspecting town. They broke into the house, not difficult with Seth's mildly disturbing skill at picking locks.

The living room, where Jasper had attacked Bella on her eighteenth birthday. Where Bella spent months hovering between life and death while pregnant with Nessie. She saw Edward's piano, and could see her brother playing there, a beautiful song emerging.

Naomi saw the rock Emmett and Bella had destroyed arm wrestling while Bella was still a young vampire with unbeatable strength. She saw the overgrown path Seth, Jake and Leah had run while warring with the La Push pack. The river the Cullen's had crossed so many times, the same one Nessie had shown Naomi when she was learning what it was like to be a vampire. So many memories, so many experiences. So many Naomi wasn't part of. She felt a stab, knowing that they had been a family long before she joined. But she was learning their history, and that was part of knowing them and truly belonging.

They jumped back in the car and headed back to La Push. They stopped by Jake's old house, no longer equipped with a wheelchair ramp for a dad that had long since died. They stopped at Seth and Leah's old house, where their dad _did_ die, after learning of his children's unique talent. Both the Clearwater children had grown quiet, despite the years of healing, and Jake wisely continued the tour. They went to the beach, were the wolves had swam as children, then as werewolves.

Naomi realized how horribly sad it must be for Leah, Seth and Jake, seeing your parents die, and your friends, while you still were young and walked the same land you did one hundred years ago with those people. Jason's pack was the second since Seth, Jake and Leah broke off. Jason was Sam's grandson, leader of the pack when Seth been fifteen. Ty, Paul's son- and technically Jake's great nephew.

Nessie felt the somber mood, and said, "Alright, off to the surprise!" This perked Naomi up.

"We saved the best for last." Seth grinned, rubbing his hands together. They parked the truck at Jason and Mia's. Leah took off at an easy run, and Naomi followed curiously. Soon, the sound of raucous laughter could be heard, and the splash of water. Naomi broke into a grin. She knew where they were going.

The trees thinned, and she saw the wolves, clothed only in shorts. Water glistened in their black hair and ran over their copper skin. Mia was talking with Luke and Ethan, and Lily sat on the cliff edge, legs dangling freely over the side.

"Welcome to the cliffs." Seth said, throwing his arms wide. Naomi beamed, delighted. The wolves often talked of cliff diving at La Push. And, of course, teased Bella about her attempt. She was still sensitive about it, even one hundred years later.

"Hey guys!" Gabe called, seeing Naomi and her siblings emerge from the forest. They waved in reply.

"Enjoy the tour?" Gabe asked Naomi. She nodded.

"It's strange to think that the Cullen's used to live here. Seth and the others, too." Naomi replied.

"I can only imagine." Gabe said wryly.

"So, Naomi." Ty interrupted. Naomi glanced at him, keeping her demeanor cool. "You going to try your hand at diving?"

"Maybe. Why not?" Naomi said politely. Ty collected himself and approached Naomi determinedly. Seth watched cautiously from the corner of his eye, but made no move to step in.

"Look Naomi, I'm sorry about freaking out on you." he apologized. Naomi laughed.

"You already _did_ apologize!"

"But this time I mean it _more_." he insisted.

"Well in that case, apology accepted- again." Naomi replied with a smile.

"So seriously though, are you going to try?" Ty questioned.

"Definitely." said Naomi firmly. She turned and winked at Seth. She sprinted forward without hesitation and launched herself off the high peak. She flipped and somersaulted through the air. She savored the shocked expressions on the boys face's as the wind rushed past her. She hit the water with a solid thunk, but it didn't hurt her. She heard the voices shouting down to through the water. She blinked lazily, and swam back towards the rocky face.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked worriedly. His voice sounded thick and foggy to Naomi's ears.

"Please." scoffed Nessie. "She's a vampire." At this, Naomi grinned to herself. Her fingers gripped the rock tightly, and she scaled the jagged cliff with ease. She hoisted herself back onto level ground, the wolves jerking back in shock.

"Damn." Luke whistled. "Pretty sure you just outshone us all there."

"It's a talent of hers." Seth said, pulling Naomi close. He brushed strands of wet hair off her face.

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying to out- do each other, letting loose wild cries as they free fell through the warm summer air.


End file.
